At a summit in Brussels, European Union leaders decided to sharply increase defense spending to support Ukraine and strengthen the continent's security.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen presented the "ReArm Europe" program, which envisages investing 800 billion euros to increase the EU's defense capabilities. EU leaders agreed to ease budget constraints by exempting defense spending from budget deficit and debt limits. This could "free up" about 600-650 billion euros and direct it to developing military capabilities.
According to von der Leyen, "This is a watershed moment for Europe and Ukraine."
The summit also discussed the European Commission's proposal to provide member states with 150 billion euros in defense loans.
Of the 27 EU countries, only Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán did not support the statement on Ukraine's defense. His refusal was due to his close ties and a position consistent with Trump's political line. However, the other 26 EU countries, including Slovakia, have expressed clear support for Ukraine, emphasizing that any peace talks must be held with the direct participation of Kyiv: "There can be no negotiations on Ukraine without Ukraine," the statement said.
