The Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, during a remote meeting with the Portuguese Prime Minister, Luis Montenegro, in his office in Kyiv, on March 5, 2025. (Credit: AFP / UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE)
The 27 EU countries and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are meeting Thursday for an extraordinary summit on Ukraine, aimed at reassuring the country and strengthening European defense following the altercation between U.S. President Donald Trump and the Ukrainian president.
Among the priorities of this meeting convened by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen: the issue of strengthening European defense against the Russian threat and that of American disengagement. "Europe faces a clear and immediate danger of a magnitude none of us has known in our adult lives," said von der Leyen in a letter to the leaders of the EU.
The future German chancellor Friedrich Merz has, for his part, estimated that Europe should prepare "for the worst-case scenario" of a NATO without the American security guarantee.
According to French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday evening, "massive common funding will be decided to buy and produce on European soil munitions, tanks, weapons, and some of the most innovative equipment."
Furthermore, "member states will be able to increase their military spending without it being considered in their deficit," a measure notably requested by Paris and Berlin.
Macron also said he wanted to "open the strategic debate" on Europe's protection by the French nuclear umbrella while emphasizing that in any case, the decision of a possible strike "will remain in the hands of the French president."
