New Delhi: The search for an end to the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine is getting ever more complicated. Where the U.S. has taken a harder line on Ukraine in the context of the war, the European Union (EU) remains steadfast with Kyiv. European leaders are also convening for an emergency meeting to review their security plans, given that Washington seems to be changing its mind.
EU leaders meet for the first time since last week’s fiery exchange between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to contain the crisis. The meeting comes during a period of uncertainty in Europe regarding American support for Ukraine.
Belgium, meanwhile, further postponed its proposed transfer of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine to sometime after 2026. Turkey Will Send Troops to Ukraine A Turkish newspaper reported that Turkey is going to send troops to Ukraine to participate in the peacekeeping mission.
Tensions are high across Europe, not least after Russia rejected outright any notion of a temporary ceasefire with Ukraine. On Thursday, Moscow rebuffed proposals by Zelensky and President Emmanuel Macron of France to pause hostilities for a month or to cease air and naval strikes. Russia said it had no intention of observing a truce under any condition.
Europe’s commitment to Ukraine never wavers
The EU has reasserted its support for Ukraine in response to these developments, citing the need to ensure European security. Ahead of the key EU summit, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen has been in contact with the President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, and [Ukrainian] President [Volodymyr] Zelensky. European leaders still see Russian President Vladimir Putin as a significant threat to regional stability.
But Donald Tusk, the Polish prime minister, has told Europeans to trust their common strength. “We are stronger than Russia. We can win any financial, economic, or military contest against Moscow. We need to believe in ourselves now,” he said.
The emergency meeting on Thursday is meant to calm European security fears, especially since the Trump administration indicated European countries should do more to defend themselves. Topics will include skyrocketing military budgets and how to reduce the damage from diminished US military aid to Ukraine.
U.S.-Ukraine Relations at a Dangerous Crossroads
Less than a month into his new term, President Trump has shattered longstanding US commitments to security partnerships. His administration has adopted a markedly softer approach to Russia while cutting back vital American military assistance for Ukraine.
Trump has also ordered the suspension of US military aid to Ukraine, thereby increasing the pressure on President Zelensky to engage in negotiations with Russia. The decision shook the EU, prompting the European leadership to reevaluate its approach to the conflict.
In a letter to the 27 E.U. member states, Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, sent a stark message: “Europe is facing an open threat of the kind we have seen in our lifetimes.” Many of our fundamental beliefs are being challenged. EU leaders are planning to explore ways to increase defence funding and relax some financial regulations.
Difficulties in preserving European cohesion
One of the biggest challenges for the EU will be keeping unity when internal fracturing is increasing. As significant EU decisions necessitate unanimous backing, achieving consensus on the Ukraine conflict is a complicated endeavour.
This emergency summit is mostly about European security, rather than directly about Ukraine’s most urgent needs. The immediate focus is not on donating more weapons or munitions to Ukraine, nor on discussing freeing up the estimated €183 billion ($196 billion) in frozen Russian money in Belgium’s clearinghouse.
The Ukrainian armed forces also fight Russian troops along a 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) frontline, especially in the eastern Donetsk region. The war has already cost thousands of soldiers’ lives and over 12,000 Ukrainian civilian casualties.
NATO Pushes for More Military Spending
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has called on European nations to significantly increase defence spending, saying that by the end of the decade, Russia’s military capability could be sufficient to stage another invasion of Europe. He’s also called on NATO allies to spend more than 3% of their GDP on defence.
The Trump administration is also demanding that European nations raise their defence budgets to 5 percent of GDP—much higher than NATO’s existing 2 percent benchmark. Though the US now allocates about 3.4% of its GDP to defences, further cuts to Pentagon appropriations are on the table.
It will also discuss the EU’s potential role in monitoring any future peace deal in Ukraine. The United Kingdom and France have led these talks, and interest in joining has been expressed by a number of other European countries as well.
A Split Europe at a Pivotal Time
The summit comes at a moment of particular peril for the E.U. as it becomes more strained by the pressures of far-right, pro-Russian factions. Both Hungary and Slovakia have long resisted aiding Ukraine, with Hungary threatening to block a statement by the European Union supporting Ukraine during mass visits by European leaders to the nation. But such opposition is unlikely to stop major decisions related to security or funding.
At a time when they are facing one of the most difficult moments in recent history, EU leaders have to do two things: maintain dialogue on security in the region and react to an increasingly complex geopolitical environment. Whatever comes out of this summit may shape the future course of the Ukraine war and alter the trajectory of Europe’s defence strategy for years.