Key takeaways from Europe’s emergency summit on Ukraine

European Union leaders have convened for an emergency summit in Brussels to address escalating security concerns after the suspension of United States military aid to Ukraine.

During the summit, European leaders have primarily focused on strengthening their defence commitments and ensuring continued support for Ukraine.

The gathering is the first summit of the 27 nations since an explosive meeting at the White House in Washington, DC, last week between US President Donald Trump and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The Trump administration has since announced a freeze on military aid and suspended intelligence-sharing with Ukraine – decisions that could have dire consequences for Ukraine’s war efforts.

Al Jazeera’s Natacha Butler, reporting from Brussels, said there is a real fear among EU leaders that the US is changing course when it comes to support for Ukraine.

“There’s a real fear that the US could step away and leave Europe vulnerable to Russian aggression,” she said.

Among the attendees in Brussels were President Zelenskyy, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Antonio Costa and French President Emmanuel Macron, who in remarks on Wednesday said Russia is no longer just threatening Ukraine but is also potentially now a serious threat to Europe.

Here are some of the key takeaways from the summit:

‘Watershed moment’: Defence spending to rise across Europe

One of the primary outcomes of the summit is a renewed commitment from European leaders to boost their defence budgets.

With the war in Ukraine continuing and the EU seeking to rely less on US support, leaders discussed ways to enhance Europe’s military capabilities. The European Commission proposed measures such as fiscal flexibility and even joint borrowing to help member states increase their defence spending.

Von der Leyen warned that Ukraine – and Europe as a whole – have arrived at a “watershed moment”.

“Europe faces a clear and present danger, and therefore, Europe has to be able to protect itself, to defend itself. We have to put Ukraine in a position to protect itself and to push for lasting and just peace,” she said.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban also called for strengthening European nations’ defence capabilities.

After a meeting with Macron in France on Wednesday, Orban took to X to state: “My meetings in France confirmed that while we may disagree on the modalities of peace, we do agree that we must strengthen the defence capabilities of European nations.”

My meetings in France confirmed that while we may disagree on the modalities of peace, we do agree that we must strengthen the defence capabilities of European nations, & these efforts should empower member states rather than Brussels bureaucrats. pic.twitter.com/FDdZTuOnb8

— Orbán Viktor (@PM_ViktorOrban) March 6, 2025

Luxembourg’s prime minister, Luc Frieden, reiterated the need for Europe to enhance its defence capabilities, saying it should happen even if some member states disagree.

“We need more European defence, and if one or two countries do not want to share that view, I think that the others should go ahead as much as they can. And that is what I am advocating for,” Frieden said before the meeting in Brussels.

‘Not alone’: Strong support for Ukraine and Zelenskyy

Zelenskyy has continued to receive firm backing from European leaders, who also discussed the expansion of military aid and potential security guarantees for Ukraine.

Zelenskyy thanked European leaders for their continued support, saying it meant Ukraine was not “alone” in its fight to repel Russia’s invasion.

“It’s very important you made a strong signal to the Ukrainian people,” he said.

Outgoing German Chancellor Olaf Scholz reiterated a rejection of any “dictated peace” in Ukraine as talks between Washington and Moscow fuel fears of an unfavourable settlement being imposed on Kyiv.

“It is very important that we make sure that Ukraine does not have to accept a dictated peace but that it is a just and fair peace that guarantees [Ukraine’s] sovereignty and independence,” Scholz said.

‘Coalition of the willing’

At least 20 countries, mostly European and Commonwealth nations, have expressed interest in joining a “coalition of the willing” proposed this week by United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer to support Ukraine.

Starmer said the UK, France and other nations would form this coalition to draw up plans to offer Ukraine support in the event of a peace deal to end Russia’s war.

Countries that have publicly indicated they would consider sending peacekeepers to enforce a deal include Australia, Ireland, Luxembourg, Belgium and Turkiye, which has the second largest army in NATO after the US.

A number of other countries have not ruled out sending soldiers, including Canada, Denmark and Sweden.

While details remain under discussion, the message was clear: Europe remains united in supporting Kyiv in the face of Russia.

“Europe as a whole is truly capable of winning any military, financial, economic confrontation with Russia. We are simply stronger,” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said. “We just had to start believing in it. And today it seems to be happening.”

Military aid

During the summit, Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever said his country expects to deliver F-16 fighter jets for battle in Ukraine in 2026. He said the promised delivery of the jets had been delayed because Belgium is awaiting delivery of new F-35s to replace them.

For its part, Sweden said it will send up to eight Gripen fighter jets to take part in a NATO mission to police the airspace of Poland, which borders Ukraine.

The move comes after Sweden suspended plans to send its domestically developed Gripen fighter jets to Ukraine last year.

France proposes nuclear deterrence extension

A particularly notable moment in the summit came from Macron, who proposed extending France’s nuclear deterrence umbrella to other EU countries.

Such a move aims to strengthen Europe’s defence position. However, it was met with mixed reactions. While some leaders welcomed the idea, others expressed concerns about nuclear policy complexities within the EU.

Poland and the Baltic nations welcomed Macron’s proposal.

Scholz expressed reservations, emphasising NATO’s existing deterrence system and advocating for increased defence spending across Europe instead.

Asked to comment on France’s offer, Scholz said: “What we have in terms of nuclear involvement, … I don’t think that should be given up.”

Despite the strong support for ramping up defence capabilities, divisions remained over how to fund Europe’s increased defence efforts. Some countries, including Hungary, have voiced scepticism about joint financing plans and proposed defence commitments.

How has Russia reacted to the emergency summit?

Russia, meanwhile, said it would not accept the presence of European peacekeepers in Ukraine, claiming that would signal direct NATO involvement in the war.

The Kremlin also strongly decried as “extremely confrontational” Macron’s warning on Wednesday about what he called Russia’s “threat to Europe” and the need for unity.

His speech indicated that France is thinking about “continuing the war”, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.

Samir Puri, a Russia expert at Chatham House, said it remains unclear what Russia considers to be “an acceptable peace” to end the conflict as Zelenskyy told Trump on Tuesday that he was ready to discuss terms and put forward an outline of a plan for peace.

“All we hear is … there’s a strong Russian opposition of the idea of NATO countries being involved in a stabilisation force or peacekeeping force” as Russian forces are still trying to seize territory, Puri told Al Jazeera.

“There is always a fear that this is all, from the Russian perspective, just a very convenient way of providing a smokescreen for their continued desire to push forward on the battlefield,” he said.

In remarks on Wednesday to women who lost relatives in the war, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that his country should choose a peace in Ukraine that will ensure the long-term security of Russia and its sustainable development.

“We must choose for ourselves a peace option that will suit us and that will ensure peace for our country in the long term,” Putin said. “We don’t need anything else, but we won’t give up our own,” he added.

What happens next?

While the summit underscored Europe’s determination to support Ukraine and boost its defence capabilities, it also revealed ongoing debates over funding and strategic direction.

The coming months will be vital as EU leaders work to move these discussions into concrete actions, ensuring Europe can sustain its role in supporting Ukraine while reinforcing its own security, experts said.

Huw Roberts, a global markets investment specialist, said the Trump administration’s shift away from Ukraine has provided a boost to European markets. He said that although, for now, Europe’s focus is on military spending, that will lead to “multiplier effects”.

“Make America Great Again appears to be morphing into Make Europe Great Again,” he told Al Jazeera, referring to Trump’s campaign slogan. “And I don’t think we can understate just how big a shift we’ve seen in the last couple of weeks in terms of the European policy response to this new security situation.

“Obviously, it’s a horrible story in the broader context, but from a pure economic and investment perspective, all these billions of extra spending will ripple out and should be growth-positive for Europe at the broader level.”

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