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With the possibility of losing US support under President Donald Trump, European Union leaders convened an emergency meeting on Thursday to strengthen their security and ensure Ukraine remains adequately protected, reports AP. Germany’s likely next chancellor, Friedrich Merz, and summit chairman Antonio Costa discussed ways to bolster Europe’s defence over breakfast in Brussels. Merz has been advocating for easing the country’s debt constraints to facilitate increased military spending. US pauses intelligence sharing with Ukraine amid diplomatic spat At the same time, EU leaders woke up to reports that French President Emmanuel Macron was set to consult them on the potential role of France’s nuclear deterrent in safeguarding Europe from Russian threats. These discussions highlight the significant shift in dynamics over the past two months since Trump assumed office and began reshaping the long-standing US-Europe alliance, which has underpinned Western security since World War II. “Invest, invest, invest in defence and deterrence. That is the key message,” said Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. This marks a sharp break from Europe’s decades-long trend of deprioritising military expenditure in favour of other budgetary concerns. Macron, addressing the French public on Wednesday night, emphasised that the bloc would take “decisive steps forward.” He stated that member states would be able to increase military spending, with “massive joint funding” allocated to procure and manufacture advanced weapons, tanks, munitions, and other military equipment within Europe. Reinforcing his point, Macron asserted that “Europe’s future does not need to be determined in Washington or Moscow.” Ukraine's President Receives Warm Reception Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who attended the summit, was met with strong expressions of solidarity from most EU leaders— a stark contrast to the harsh criticism he faced from Trump less than a week ago. “I want to thank all our European leaders,” Zelenskyy said. “From the very start of the war, throughout this entire period, and even last week, you have stood by us.” Boosting Defence Budgets European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has proposed easing budgetary constraints to enable countries to significantly increase their defence spending. Her plan includes €150 billion ($162 billion) in loans to help acquire essential military equipment. Given that most of the increased military expenditure would have to come from national budgets, von der Leyen has proposed measures to prevent struggling member states from being penalised for additional debt incurred for defence purposes. “Europe is facing a clear and present danger, and therefore it must be able to protect and defend itself,” she stated. France, for instance, is grappling with a high budget deficit of 5% of GDP after accumulating debt—now at 112% of GDP—due to economic relief measures during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent energy crisis following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Five other eurozone nations—Belgium, Greece, Spain, Italy, and Portugal—have debt levels exceeding 100% of GDP. In contrast, Germany, Europe’s largest economy, has more fiscal flexibility with a debt level of 62% of GDP. Addressing Ukraine’s Security A crucial part of the EU’s security strategy is ensuring Ukraine remains supported. On Wednesday night, a Russian missile strike on a hotel in Zelenskyy’s hometown killed four people. The hotel, located in Kryvyi Rih in central Ukraine, had recently become a base for humanitarian volunteers, including Ukrainian, American, and British nationals. It was unclear whether any of these foreign aid workers were among the 31 injured. Earlier this week, Trump ordered a halt to US military supplies to Ukraine, pressing Zelenskyy to negotiate an end to the war with Russia. This development has injected fresh urgency into Thursday’s summit discussions. However, the meeting is not expected to immediately resolve Ukraine’s most pressing needs. It will not be focused on rapidly increasing arms and ammunition supplies to compensate for the US freeze. Nor is there consensus on whether to release the estimated €183 billion ($196 billion) in frozen Russian assets held in a Belgian clearing house. Zelenskyy wants peace, ready to accept minerals deal: Trump A Divided EU Faces a Defining Moment Despite these limitations, EU leaders acknowledged the significance of the moment. “This is a turning point for Europe and for Ukraine as part of our European family,” von der Leyen said, standing alongside Zelenskyy before entering the summit. The greatest challenge, however, may lie in forging a unified EU stance at a time of internal division. Many key decisions require unanimous agreement, and Hungary, along with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, is threatening to veto parts of the summit's statement on Ukraine. “We must make decisions, regardless of one or two dissenters,” said Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda. “Otherwise, history will judge us, and we will pay a steep price.” While Thursday’s summit is not expected to yield immediate financial commitments for Ukraine or EU defence, the upcoming EU summit on 20–21 March is expected to offer clearer decisions on these matters.

On the list of things not to do during a pandemic, holding big international gatherings is close to the top. But European Union leaders and their large following of diplomats and advisers are meeting in Portugal on Friday for two days of talks, sending a signal that they see the threat from COVID-19 on their continent as waning, amid a quickening vaccine rollout. Their talks hope to repair some of the damage the coronavirus has caused in the bloc, in such areas as welfare and employment. In a late addition to their agenda, EU leaders will also discuss Thursday’s U.S. proposal to share the technology behind COVID-19 vaccines to help speed the end of the pandemic. The leaders will also take part in an unprecedented meeting, via videoconference, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose country needs more help with a devastating virus surge — and who can smooth the path to an elusive bilateral trade deal. Like across much of the world, COVID-19 forced high-level political talks to move online over the past year in Europe. This is the 27-nation bloc’s first face-to-face summit in five months, after an exceptional meeting in Brussels last December to discuss post-pandemic spending. Another in-person summit, in Brussels, is planned for later this month. EU leaders appear keen to “try and convey a sense of normalcy, of slowly returning to normal,” says Antonio Barroso, a political analyst at Teneo, a global advisory firm. That is a key consideration for southern EU countries like Portugal, Spain and Greece, where tourism is an economic mainstay. Also read:  EU leaders resume ‘grumpy’ summit on budget, virus fund Despite a slow start to its inoculation drive, the EU this week passed the milestone of 150 million vaccinations and reckons it can reach what it calls “sufficient community immunity” in two months’ time. The European Commission proposes relaxing restrictions on travel to the bloc this summer. Who can move around, when and where remains a sensitive question for Europeans, however. Pandemic improvements have been uneven across the continent, and many Europeans remain subject to irksome restrictions. In a political nod to those concerns, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte won’t travel to Portugal. And as a reminder of the risks, Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela won’t be attending because he is in quarantine after his wife tested positive on Wednesday. Pandemic fundamentals remain unchanged: those attending the summit must show negative PCR tests for COVID-19, while social distancing and mask-wearing are required. The summit will make a splash in the picturesque Atlantic coast city of Porto, with a population of just over 200,000. Most of the city’s hotels have been shut since last spring due to COVID-19, and local gripes about streets being overcrowded with tourists now seem a distant memory. With the pandemic exposing inequalities and bringing greater hardship in the bloc, the talks in Porto will initially look at how to ensure EU citizens are guaranteed their rights in such areas as employment support, gender equality and social services. “COVID has taken the covers off and shown the gaps” in care, says Laura Rayner, a policy analyst at the European Policy Centre, a Brussels-based think tank. “So many people, through no fault of their own, have found themselves requiring some support,” she said. “There’s certainly more awareness on the street” of the need for a social safety net and “it would be naïve of politicians to ignore that,” she added. The EU is looking for endorsement in Porto of three headline targets: an EU employment rate of at least 78%, at least 60% of adults attending training courses every year, and reducing the number of those at risk of poverty or social exclusion by at least 15 million people, including 5 million children. The push for social safeguards, largely led by center-left EU governments, has caused some tension within the bloc. Last month, 11 governments welcomed the Porto effort but warned central EU authorities against meddling in national policies — a clash of interests that has long dogged the bloc. On Saturday, the leaders will hold an online summit with India’s Modi covering trade, climate change and help with India’s COVID-19 surge. Some EU countries have already sent medicine and equipment to India. Also read:  EU leaders include nuclear energy in green transition India and the EU spent six years trying to negotiate a free trade deal before giving up in 2013. Among the thorny issues were vehicle parts and digital privacy. Plans for a face-to-face EU-India summit in Porto fell through after Modi canceled his trip due to the pandemic, but it is the first time an Indian leader will participate in a meeting with all the EU’s leaders.

European Union (EU) leaders were chasing for compromises Saturday as a summit to reach a deal on an unprecedented 1.85 trillion euro ($2.1 trillion) EU budget and coronavirus recovery fund entered its second day with tensions running high.