Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked European leaders on Thursday for their unflinching support, underscoring its significance in the midst of war. His words were made in the EU leaders summit in Brussels, days after his contentious meeting with US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office.
We are extremely grateful to be not alone. And these aren’t words. We feel it,” The Guardian said, quoting Zelenskyy. He thanked the EU for giving a clear message of solidarity to the Ukrainian military and civilians.
As uncertainty deepened over US aid, EU leaders reiterated their support for Ukraine and vowed to bolster their defenses. Polish Premier Donald Tusk emphasized the imperative of boosting Europe’s military capabilities.
“Europe has to adopt this challenge, this arms race. And has to win it,” Reuters cited Tusk as saying. Europe was more powerful than Russia, he said, and could easily win any conflict military or economic.
EU leaders greeted recent European Commission proposals to boost flexibility in defense spending and to collectively borrow as much as €150 billion ($160 billion) for military investment. European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission Chief Ursula von der Leyen greeted Zelenskyy warmly, presenting a stark contrast to his recent meeting with Trump.
But Europe’s bid to make up for the reduction in US military assistance is not without challenges. NATO puts the estimate of Washington’s contribution to over 40% of Ukraine’s military assistance last year, a gap that the EU alone might find difficult to fill.
Albeit apprehensive, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was still optimistic that America could be induced to resume support, while Trump ally Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban indicated that he could oppose an official EU statement in favor of Kyiv.
