EU summit on Ukraine: Europe seems ready to spend on defense – DW – 03/07/2025

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

58% : The EU reiterated its support for Ukraine once again in a statement signed off by all members but one: Hungary.
55% : Message to Kyiv, but no new cash — yet Zelenskyy, who spoke with EU leaders for one-and-a-half hours at the start of the talks, may walk away feeling more assured.
53% : Moreover, EU officials have already made clear that more will follow in the weeks ahead.
52% : Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (center) and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (right) spoke positively of Ukraine's relationship with the EUImage: Omar Havana/AP Photo/picture alliance But despite all the smiles and firm handshakes, as EU leaders hunkered down on Thursday night to discuss how to massively boost their defense spending and how to help Ukraine after the US suspended military and financial aid, alarming developments from the outside world continued to pile up.
52% : To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Go-ahead for massive defense investment funding plan On Thursday, the 27 leaders gave the European Commission, the EU's executive branch, the green light to move ahead with a plan to drum up close to €800 billion ($870 billion) of additional defense investment in the EU in the coming years.
52% : Despite this, two senior EU diplomats told DW in the run-up to talks that in the coming weeks, the EU could offer a fresh chunk of money in addition to the €30 billion it has already committed to Ukraine for this year.
51% : The conclusions of EU summits are generally unanimously approved, but even before the gathering, diplomats made clear they would move on quickly without Hungarian President Viktor Orban if necessary.
50% : Nonetheless, EU countries are also seriously considering how they would cope without the US underwriting their security for the first time in decades.
50% : To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video "There are no frugals anymore when it comes to defense," one senior EU diplomat told DW on the condition of anonymity on the sidelines of the EU talks, using the Brussels' jargon to denote countries most cautious to take on debt to finance public spending.
46% : At the very least, consensus among EU leaders around the need to hugely step up defense investment has evidently been established, even with Hungary.
45% : The EU has debated how to increase its defense expenditures for years.
43% : The question of seizing the Russian assets frozen in the west to aid Ukraine, for example, or Macron's proposal to consider using French nuclear weapons as a Europe-wide deterrent, for example The messages from the US may be deeply mixed, but the EU was evident on Thursday — at least without Hungary.
34% : Meanwhile, Trump once again questioned whether the US would defend NATO members if they were attacked, which is the central promise of the Western military alliance.
34% : He has been backing Trump's recent overtures to Russia and efforts to strike a deal to end the war without involving Ukraine or the EU.
32% : "Hungary's President Viktor Orban has repeatedly blocked EU efforts to sanction Russia and aid UkraineImage: Frederic GARRIDO-RAMIREZ/European Union
21% : "If you're not going to pay, we're not going to defend," Trump said, chastising alliance members who do not meet the target of spending 2% of gross domestic product on defense.

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