EBN – French President Emmanuel Macron cautioned that Europe was at a “turning point of history” as EU leaders convened a special summit on defense in Brussels on Thursday.
EU leaders are anticipated to talk about rearmament as well as how the organization might help Kyiv further in the wake of US President Donald Trump’s declaration on Monday that he would halt funding to Ukraine. Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, has been invited to the conference.
Since Trump and Zelensky’s confrontation at the White House last week, nerves have been progressively strained throughout Europe, and the language surrounding Thursday’s summit makes it clear how important EU officials are placing it.
Many Europeans fear that the continent will no longer be able to rely on US assistance for its security as a result of the Trump administration’s overtures to Russian President Vladimir Putin, three years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Those concerns were not alleviated by Washington’s decision on Wednesday to suspend information sharing with Ukraine.
In an address to the country on Wednesday, President Macron indicated the extent of the anxiety by saying that France was willing to talk about providing its European allies with the same level of protection provided by its nuclear weapons.
That came after Friedrich Merz, who is expected to be Germany’s next chancellor, called for a discussion on greater nuclear sharing.
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine
Three years on since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Trump administration’s overtures to Russian President Vladimir Putin have left many in Europe concerned the continent would not be able to rely on US support for its security.
Washington’s decision on Wednesday to pause intelligence sharing with Ukraine did nothing to allay those worries.
In a sign of the depth of concern, President Macron said France was open to discussing extending the protection offered by its nuclear arsenal to its European partners, during an address to the nation on Wednesday.
That followed a call from Friedrich Merz, likely to be Germany’s next chancellor, to discuss increased nuclear sharing.
In a letter to European leaders, von der Leyen also said the continent had to “meet the moment” and “unleash our industrial and productive power and direct it to the goal of security”.
Many European leaders have signalled their support for swift, decisive action in regards to the continent’s security.
