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EU leaders are meeting on Thursday for a special summit in Brussels, where they will discuss further support to Ukraine and the Commission’s plan to rearm the continent.
The extraordinary summit, convened in response to the US-Russia talks, will seek to show that the bloc is now ready to step up its efforts to support Ukraine in the short term and ensure its strategic autonomy to defend itself in the long term. “The future of a free and sovereign Ukraine – of a safe and prosperous Europe- is on the line,” EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said in a letter to EU leaders sent on Tuesday morning after unveiling a plan to ReArm Europe. The proposal could lead to member states spending up to €800 billion over the next four years to shore up their defences as security challenges are mounting, the US alliance is more uncertain than ever, and Ukraine continues to require significant military and financial assistance. Among the questions EU leaders have to wrestle with are: What kind of security guarantees can the EU afford? Should Europe still consider itself a US ally? How much extra money is it prepared to put on the table, and is it time to confiscate frozen assets?
