EU Summit Backs von der Leyen’s Rearm Europe Plan
The heads of the 27 EU member states have backed European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's plan to strengthen the EU's defence under the title ‘Re-Equip Europe’, CNN reports.
‘Building on its previous conclusions and in accordance with the relevant powers conferred by the Treaties, and in the light of the recent letter from the President of the Commission, the European Council underlines the need to continue to substantially increase spending on European security and defence,’ the decision says.
The European Council also addressed the EU Council with a proposal to urgently consider the possibility of EU states attracting up to €150 billion in defence loans.
‘The European Council ... takes note of the Commission's intention to propose a new EU instrument to provide Member States with loans secured by the EU budget of up to €150 billion and invites the Council to consider this proposal as a matter of urgency,’ the conclusions to the decision read.
The European Council called on the European Commission ‘to propose additional sources of funding for defence at EU level, including through additional opportunities and incentives offered to all Member States... and to present the relevant proposals quickly’.
‘The European Council will return to this issue (of European defence - ed.) at its meetings in March and June,’ the document says.
Also, 26 EU states approved a document according to which Ukraine should achieve ‘peace through strength’ by entering the negotiations from the strongest position, and the sustainable peace achieved should be based, among other things, on respect for the territorial integrity of Ukraine.
‘Achieving ‘peace through strength’ requires Ukraine to be in the strongest possible position, an important component of which is its own strong military and defence capabilities. This applies (to the period) before, during and after negotiations to end the war,’ the document says.
The European Council underlines the importance of the following principles:
- there can be no negotiations on Ukraine without Ukraine;
- there can be no negotiations affecting European security without European participation;
- any truce or ceasefire can only take place as part of a process leading to a comprehensive peace agreement;
- any such agreement must be accompanied by credible and reliable security guarantees for Ukraine that will help deter future Russian aggression;
- peace must be based on respect for Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
In addition, the European Council called on the EU Council to speed up the work on the initiative of the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, to approve a new multi-billion dollar package of military assistance to Ukraine from the European Union. This call was supported by 26 EU states, except Hungary.
The relevant document states that military support for Ukraine should be increased, in particular, in accordance with the proposal of the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs.
‘The European Council has analysed the work on providing military support to Ukraine. In addition to the funds already allocated to Ukraine for this year, it welcomes the readiness of Member States to urgently step up efforts to meet Ukraine's urgent military and defence needs, including the supply of air defence systems, ammunition and missiles, the provision of necessary training and equipment for Ukrainian brigades, as well as other needs that Ukraine may have,’ the document reads.
The European Council, in particular, ‘calls on the EU Council to move quickly on initiatives, in particular those of the High Representative, to coordinate increased EU military support to Ukraine, including the military requirements component of the G7 ERA initiative’.
As The Gaze previously reported, during a special meeting of the European Council, 7 EU member states pledged to provide Ukraine with additional financial and military assistance worth €15 billion.