European leaders are gathering in Brussels to discuss how to support Ukraine and fend more for themselves on defense.
European leaders find themselves plunged into a hostile new era of less cooperation from the United States, a greater threat from Russia and an increasingly uncertain outlook for Ukraine. On Thursday, they are gathering in Brussels to try to figure out what to do about that.
They are walking a fine line: They need to figure out how to support Ukraine and bolster their own defenses while avoiding further alienating their tempestuous allies in Washington.
“This is a watershed moment for Europe — and Ukraine is part of our European family,” Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the European Union’s executive arm, said as she walked into the gathering alongside Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine.
“Europe faces a clear and present danger, and therefore Europe has to be able to protect itself, to defend itself, as we have to put Ukraine in a position to protect itself,” she added.
The specially called and much anticipated gathering includes the heads of state or government from the European Union’s 27 member countries and is the latest in a series of quickly arranged summits focused on defense.
Leaders are poised to discuss how to finance a ramp up of European military spending, hoping to make the continent better armed to deal with Russia without as much backup from across the Atlantic. They will also review what a peace plan for Ukraine might look like, and how they can support it.