Europe Ukraine latest: EU leaders back new military spending plans at Ukraine summit

European Union leaders on Thursday committed to a massive step in defense cooperation following decades of hesitation, spurred by U.S. President Donald Trump ’s repeated warnings that he would cut them adrift to face the threat of Russia without America's overwhelming military might.

The 27 leaders signed off on a move to loosen budget restrictions so willing EU countries can increase military spending. They also urged the European Commission, the EU’s executive branch, to explore new ways to facilitate significant defense spending in all member states, a statement said.

That comes as Ukrainian President says his country will hold talks with the U.S. next week about ending the war against Russia. In his nightly address, Zelenskyy said he would travel to Saudi Arabia on Monday and his team would stay there for talks with U.S. officials.

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Here's the latest:

Spanish prime minister announces accelerated hike in defense spending

Pedro Sánchez said his country would raise defense spending to reach NATO’s target faster than previously committed. The eurozone’s fourth-largest economy, Spain ranked last in the 32-nation military alliance last year for the share of GDP that it contributed to the military, estimated at 1.28%.

NATO members pledged in 2014 to spend at least 2% of GDP on defense, a target that 23 countries were expected to meet last year amid concerns about the war in Ukraine. Spain previously said it would reach the target by 2029.

“We all have to make an effort and an expedited effort with respect to what we had previously set for the year 2029,” Sánchez told reporters.

European army chiefs of staff to start Ukraine talks Tuesday in Paris

French President Emmanuel Macron said “exploratory” talks will start Tuesday about possible deployment of European forces in Ukraine once a peace deal is signed.

Discussions will include “a whole range of options” and will be held in Paris by army chiefs of staff of European nations that wish to be involved, he said in a news conference.

All European Union member states have been invited, Macron said, adding that talks will be held in “close coordination” with NATO’s military command.

European-led forces in Ukraine would not fight on the front lines but would make sure a potential peace deal is fully respected, Macron said.

Macron also said he spoke with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer following Thursday’s emergency meeting on Ukraine in Brussels.

Ukraine and the US will hold talks next week on ending the war

The talks are set to take place in Saudi Arabia.

In his nightly address, Zelenskyy said he would travel to Saudi Arabia on Monday. He said his team would stay on to hold talks with U.S. officials about ending the war between Ukraine and Russia.

“Ukraine is most interested in peace,” Zelenskyy said. “As we told President Trump, Ukraine is working and will work exclusively constructively for a quick and reliable peace.”

EU leaders back new defense spending plans after Trump signals that Europe must fend for itself

European Union leaders on Thursday backed new defense spending plans aimed at freeing up billions of euros for the continent’s security after the Trump administration signaled that Europe would have to fend for itself in future.

The 27 leaders signed off on a move to loosen budget restrictions so that willing EU countries can increase their military spending. They also urged the European Commission to explore new ways “to facilitate significant defense spending at national level in all Member States,” a statement said.

The EU’s executive branch estimates that around 650 billion euros ($702 billion) could be freed up in this way.

The leaders also took note of a European Commission offer of a loan package worth 150 billion euros ($162 billion) to buy new military equipment and invited EU headquarters staff “to examine this proposal as a matter of urgency.”

Once again, the EU can’t reach consensus on backing Ukraine

European Union leaders have failed to reach a full consensus on a common stance in defense of Ukraine and its war against Russia.

That’s according to an official with knowledge of the vote at Thursday’s close-door meeting.

A statement was signed off among 26 EU members with a lone member state out, the official said.

Hungary has long been a holdout in previous attempts to reach consensus.

The official declined to elaborate on which country did not back the statement. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the summit was still ongoing.

The EU says it wants to back Ukraine with funds and military material so it can negotiate from a position of strength. Hungary says such measures would only extend the war.

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Associated Press writer Raf Casert in Brussels contributed to this report.

Zelenskyy says US and Ukraine teams have resumed working together, and hints at another meeting

The Ukrainian leader didn’t give details about what kind of cooperation has restarted, and said the two countries hoped to have “a meaningful meeting” next week.

In his speech Thursday to a meeting of European Council members, Zelenskyy said Ukraine “is not only ready to take the necessary steps for peace, but we are also proposing what those steps are.”

Russia can demonstrate that it’s serious about peace, he said, by ceasing attacks on Ukraine’s energy and civilian infrastructure as well as halting military operations in the Black Sea, and it could also release prisoners of war.

Still, he said “any truce and any form of trust building measures can only be a prologue to a full and fair settlement, to a comprehensive agreement on security guarantees and an end to the war.”

Russia casts Macron’s speech as ‘nuclear blackmail’

Moscow said its military planning will take into account the latest statements by French President Emmanuel Macron.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday denounced Macron’s address a day earlier, in which he suggested starting talks about using France’s nuclear deterrent to protect Europe from Russian threats.

Russia said the speech contained “notes of nuclear blackmail” and reflected Paris’ ambitions to “become the nuclear ‘patron’ of all of Europe,” even though France’s nuclear forces are dwarfed by U.S. arsenals.

Still, the ministry warned that Macron’s statement “will be taken into account by Russia in its defense planning.” It claimed that Macron’s speech reflects a “real panic” in Europe over emerging signs of normalization of Russia-U.S. ties.”

Russia defends its vetoes on UN resolution mentioning Ukraine invasion

Moscow vetoed European amendments last month that would have added Russia’s responsibility for invading its smaller neighbor. The U.N. Security Council resolution was adopted on Feb. 24 with its five European members abstaining.

Russia’s deputy ambassador Dmitry Polyansky told the General Assembly on Thursday that Moscow highly values the Trump administration’s peace initiative.

Polyansky called the U.S. resolution “a step in the right direction and grounds for further efforts for a peaceful solution to the Ukraine crisis.”

Many European countries followed Polyansky to the assembly’s podium to denounce Russia’s invasion as a violation of the U.N. Charter which requires every U.N. member to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, and to demand Russian troops withdraw from Ukraine.

U.S. deputy ambassador Dorothy Shea told the assembly the resolution “does not end the war, but it has put us on a path to peace” which must be lasting, not temporary.

And about those billions in frozen Russian assets...

Most of the assets frozen in Europe are in Belgium at the securities depositary Euroclear.

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever said at the summit Thursday: ″I advocate great caution when it comes to those frozen assets.″

He called the frozen assets “a chicken that also lays golden eggs” because of the accumulating interest on the principal. So far, $50 billion in interest has been used to help Ukraine.

“Countries that are already calling for the confiscation of those funds, they should be well aware of the economic risks they are taking,” he said. “That is something that can really shock the world financial order. You should not take that lightly.”

European leaders hesitate to seize Russia’s frozen billions

That’s despite urging from Ukraine and front-line governments in the Baltic states and Poland, who want to seize some 210 billion euros ($227 billion) in Russian central bank reserves that have been frozen in the European financial system since the start of the war.

Officials in France and Germany have resisted due to concerns about legal obstacles and potentially undermining confidence in the euro and its associated financial system. So far the Group of Seven countries have used only the accumulating interest on the money to fund $50 billion in assistance for Ukraine.

The G-7 say the money will stay frozen “until Russia ceases its aggression and pays for the damage it has caused.” Countries bordering Russia want to use it to pay for Ukraine’s reconstruction.

Bulgarian PM: ‘Europe is weak without the United States’

“Europe is weak without the United States,” Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov told reporters in Brussels on Thursday. He voiced hope that “the U.S. remains committed to our collective security, which is based on shared values.”

Zhelyazkov said that no decisions regarding peace in Ukraine should be made without Ukraine’s involvement and that “negotiations about Europe’s security must be conducted by Europe and for Europe.” Asked about the kind of peace being pursued, he said, “When the rule of law is confronted by the law of force, Europe must be prepared.”

Bulgaria insists that funding for rearmament should not come at the expense of EU cohesion funds, but by redirecting unspent money from EU’s COVID-19 recovery fund toward the country’s defense industry.

How big is the French nuclear arsenal?

The talk about possibly around Europe raises many questions, among them: How big is it?

The , or FAS, estimates that all together, the United States and Russia possess approximately 88% of the world’s total inventory of nuclear weapons — more than 5,000 each.

They are followed at a distance by China, and France is in fourth position with an estimated 290 nuclear warheads. The U.K. has an estimated 225, according to the federation. The FAS notes that the exact number of weapons in each country’s possession is unknown because it’s a closely held national secret.

EU leaders finish working lunch with Zelenskyy

The EU’s 27 leaders have finished a working lunch with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Meal-time discussions are unscripted, and the heads of state and government can freely speak, often in English, but also in their own languages without any obvious time constraints.

Early Thursday morning, EU envoys finished drafting a summit statement for the leaders to endorse. The text, seen by The Associated Press, insists there can be no negotiations on Ukraine without Ukraine and that the Europeans must be involved in any talks involving their security.

The text could still change before the summit concludes. It also says that a ceasefire can only happen as part of a process leading to a full peace agreement. Any agreement, the leaders would say, must be accompanied by “robust and credible security guarantees for Ukraine.”

Hungary has threatened to veto parts of the statement relating to Ukraine, but Prime Minister Viktor Orbán entered the European Council building in Brussels via an alternate entrance, avoiding the waiting media.

Starmer says US remains an essential ally

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has rejected suggestions that Europe and the United States are at odds over Ukraine and that Britain must pick a side.

Starmer says the U.S. remains an essential ally, and he’s working “to get the U.S., Ukraine and European allies onto the same page so that we can all focus on what matters most, which is lasting peace in Ukraine.”

Speaking on a visit Thursday to a shipyard in northwest England, the British leader repeated his call for a ceasefire to be backed up by robust security guarantees for Ukraine.

He said: “That guarantee needs a European element, and of course the United Kingdom will step up, we always step up in the cause of peace. But we also need the U.S. to be working with us on that, and that is what I am focusing all my attention on.”

Scholz expresses reservations over French nuclear deterrent

Scholz has expressed his reservations about the idea of using French nuclear weapons to protect other European countries.

In response to questions from journalists, the German chancellor referred to the existing NATO system of nuclear deterrence, which is based on U.S. nuclear weapons and in which Germany participates.

He says he believes “that this should not be abandoned — that is the common view of all centrist parties in Germany.”

Lavrov says statements about Russia being a threat to Europe are ‘stupid’

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Thursday harshly criticized French President Emmanuel Macron’s claim that Russia threatens Europe.

“This is a threat to Russia,” Lavrov said at a briefing in Moscow, noting Macron’s plan to convene a meeting of top European military officers to discuss purported aggressive plans by Moscow.

Lavrov dismissed the allegations that Russia was hatching plans to attack European nations as “stupid” and “delirious nonsense.”

“For any more or less sane person it is completely clear that Russia does not need this,” he said.

Russia rejects Franco-British peace proposal for Ukraine

Russia’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday rejected a peace proposal from France and Britain, describing it as an attempt by Kyiv’s European allies to offer a break to the embattled Ukrainian army.

The ministry’s spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, said that the proposed break in air and naval attacks is an attempt to “secure a pause for the agonizing Kyiv regime, the Ukrainian armed forces and prevent the front from collapsing.”

She said that Ukraine would use any pause in fighting to strengthen its military, which would lead to prolonged conflict.

Germany’s likely next chancellor Merz isn’t part of EU summit

, who will most likely become Germany’s next chancellor in a few weeks, won’t be participating in Thursday’s EU summit.

But the center-right politician who won last month did meet several top European leaders ahead of the summit in Brussels, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the bloc’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas.

On X, Merz writes that he agrees with both on sharply increasing Europe’s s defense capabilities. He stresses that “we must be able to defend ourselves so that we don’t have to defend ourselves.” He adds, “there can only be peace in Europe if we are strong.”

UK says about 20 nations involved in talks about protecting peace in Ukraine

The British government says plans are advancing for a multinational military force to help protect peace in Ukraine, with about 20 countries involved in talks.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office says officials from some 20 nations attended a planning meeting organized by the U.K. on Wednesday. Spokesman Tom Wells said the “interested countries” came largely from Europe and the Commonwealth. He did not identify any of the countries.

Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron have proposed a “coalition of the willing” to defend Ukraine and guarantee the peace after a ceasefire. Only the U.K. and France have so far said they are willing to send troops.

Lavrov warns Russia won’t accept NATO troops as peacekeepers in Ukraine

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned that Moscow wouldn’t accept any troops from NATO members as peacekeepers to monitor a possible peace deal in Ukraine.

Lavrov assailed French President Emmanuel Macron and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer for pushing the proposal for European peacekeepers’ deployment to Ukraine and reaffirmed that Russia won’t accept it.

“We aren’t seeing any room for compromise here,” Lavrov said.

He emphasized that Russia would see the move as a “direct, official and unveiled involvement of NATO members in the war against Russia,” adding that “it can’t be allowed.”

Scholz calls for bigger defense spending in Europe

Germany’s Scholz says just as his country is getting ready to all of Europe should plan to make much bigger investments in the military so that the continent is capable of defending itself.

He welcomed the EU initiative to loosen its regulations in order to offer additional borrowing options for member states.

Scholz says he is “in favor of not just having that discussion now for the next one or two years, but that we ensure in the long term that states can spend as much on defense as they themselves and with their friends and allies see fit.”

In addition, he says, the summit is about “strengthening our European arms industry by giving us more freedom to cooperate with each other and making procurement easier.”

Spanish prime minister says Europe should be part of Ukraine peace talks

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez told reporters in Brussels that it was too early to speculate what role Europe should play in a possible ceasefire in Ukraine but reiterated that Ukraine and Europe should be present in any negotiations.

He added that Europe shouldn’t “underestimate itself” amid uncertainty about the future of U.S. participation in Ukraine’s defense.

EU chief executive says Europe has to be able to defend itself

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says “Europe faces a clear and present danger, and therefore Europe has to be able to protect itself, to defend itself.”

Arriving at the EU summit alongside Zelenskyy, von der Leyen said: “This is a watershed moment for Europe and Ukraine as part of our European family. It’s also a watershed moment for Ukraine.”

Scholz calls on EU to jointly respond to Trump’s tariffs

Ahead of the EU summit in Brussels, Scholz called on the European leaders to act jointly in responding to tariffs threatened by U.S. President Donald Trump.

He said that “Europe is the strongest economic area in the world with its own opportunities. And that is why it is very important that, especially when it comes to tariffs, we are also clear about how we act in this matter — namely united and determined.”

Ukraine’s ambassador to UK says US is destroying rules-based order

Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Kingdom says the United States is destroying the rules-based international order by cozying up to Russia.

Valerii Zaluzhnyi told a conference hosted by the Chatham House think tank that “it’s not just the axis of evil and Russia” disrupting the global system, “but the U.S. is finally destroying this order.”

Speaking through an interpreter, Zaluzhnyi said talks between Washington and Moscow over the Ukraine war showed the White House “makes steps toward the Kremlin, trying to meet them halfway.” He also warned that Russia’s next target “could be Europe.”

The ambassador, a former commander of Ukraine’s armed forces, said NATO might cease to exist in the next few years if the current course continues.

Scholz says EU must ensure US support for Ukraine

Scholz says Europe must continue to support Ukraine financially and militarily.

At the same time, he says, “we must ensure, with a cool and intelligent head, that the support of the USA is also guaranteed in the coming months and years, because Ukraine is also dependent on their support for its defense.”

Outgoing German chancellor throws support behind Ukraine

Outgoing German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told reporters upon arrival at the EU summit in Brussels that “it is very important that we ensure that Ukraine does not have to accept a dictated peace, but that there will be a fair and just peace that ensures the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine.”

He says he supports concrete proposals such as silencing weapons in the air and sea, no further threats to Ukraine’s infrastructure and a prisoner exchange, which “can lay the foundation for a ceasefire.”

Baltic nations welcome Macron’s idea of nuclear deterrent

Baltic nations welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron’s proposal for talks about using France’s nuclear deterrent to protect the continent from Russian threats.

Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nausėda praised a “very interesting idea” at his arrival at an emergency EU summit on defense and Ukraine in Brussels. “We have high expectations because nuclear umbrella would serve as really very serious deterrence towards Russia,” Nausėda said.

Latvia Prime Minister Evika Siliņa said she sees the French proposal “as an opportunity to discuss,” stressing that more time is needed for talks with European allies and at home.

Macron said he has decided to open a “strategic debate” on the protection of European allies by France’s nuclear deterrent. Macron said the use of France’s nuclear weapons would remain only in the hands of the French president.

Kremlin criticizes Macron’s speech as confrontational

The Kremlin on Thursday dismissed as “extremely confrontational” a speech by Emmanuel Macron, in which the French president called Moscow a “threat” to Europe.

In an address to the nation on Wednesday, Macron also said that he’s ready to start discussions on nuclear deterrence with European allies.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov during a regular call with journalists said the speech was “extremely confrontational” and said that it was clear that France wasn’t thinking about peace.

“One can conclude that France thinks more about war, about continuing the war,” Peskov added.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov echoed Peskov, saying during a news conference in Moscow that Macron’s speech and his comments on discussing nuclear deterrence with European allies were a “threat” against Russia.

Zelenskyy arrives at EU summit

Zelenskyy arrived at the emergency EU summit on Thursday and thanked European Union leaders for their unwavering support for Ukraine.

“During all this period, and last week, you stayed with us. ... Big appreciation. We are very thankful that we are not alone. And these are not just words — we feel it,” Zelenskyy said.

He said EU support for Ukraine “signals to increase our production, and signals to a new program to increase European security.”

Limited room to increase spending

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has proposed to loosen budget rules so countries that are willing can spend much more on defense. Her proposal is underpinned by 150 billion euros ($162 billion) worth of loans to buy priority military equipment.

Most of the increased defense spending would have to come from national budgets at a time when many countries are already overburdened with debt.

France is struggling to reduce an excessive annual budget deficit of 5% of GDP. Five other countries using the euro currency have debt levels over 100% of GDP: Belgium, Greece, Spain, Italy and Portugal. Europe’s largest economy, Germany, has more room to borrow, with a debt level of 62% of GDP.

France steps in to provide military intelligence to Ukraine

France is providing military intelligence to Ukraine after Washington announced it was with Kyiv.

French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu said, “Our intelligence is sovereign. We have intelligence that we allow Ukraine to benefit from.”

He added that following the U.S. decision to suspend all military aid to Ukraine, French President Emmanuel Macron asked him to “accelerate the various French aid packages” to make up for the lack of American assistance.

Russian ballistic missile kills 4 in Zelenskyy's hometown

In Ukraine, a Russian ballistic missile killed four people staying at a hotel in President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s hometown during the night.

Zelenskyy said a humanitarian organization’s volunteers had moved into the hotel in Kryvyi Rih, in central Ukraine, just before the strike, including Ukrainian, American and British nationals. He didn’t say whether those people were among the 31 injured.

Russia fired 112 Shahed and decoy drones, as well as two ballistic Iskander missiles, at Ukraine overnight, the Ukrainian air force said.

Flurry of early morning meetings in Brussels

Friedrich Merz, the likely next chancellor of Germany, conferred in Brussels with summit chairman Antonio Costa over breakfast on how to fortify Europe’s defenses on a short deadline. Merz only days ago pushed on running up debt to allow for higher defense spending.

At the same time, the 27-nation bloc was waking up to the news that French President Emmanuel Macron would confer with EU leaders about the possibility of to protect the continent from Russian threats.

The bloc will “take decisive steps forward,” Macron told the French nation Wednesday evening. “Member states will be able to increase their military spending” and “massive joint funding will be provided to buy and produce some of the most innovative munitions, tanks, weapons and equipment in Europe,” he said.