Belgian prime minister Bart De Wever (N-VA) welcomed Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Brussels yesterday to witness the EU sign the most ambitious collective approach to defense spending and procurement in its history.
Dossier
‘History is being written’: Europe agrees to €800 billion in defense spending
Lisa Bradshaw
Published:
The European Union reached an agreement yesterday regarding increased defense spending, with all member states signing on to the €800 billion ‘Rearm Europe’ plan. All states but Hungary also signed a statement in support of Ukraine in the face of the US pulling aid from the country as war with Russia continues.
It was Belgian prime minister Bart De Wever who welcomed Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Brussels yesterday, holding a private meeting with the Ukrainian president ahead of Europe’s special summit.
De Wever admitted that Belgium was “a poor pupil” when it came to defense spending. “We are also punished for it. We are not invited to every table.” Aside from signing on to Rearm Europe, he promised to send F-16s to Ukraine to be used for spare parts.
‘A watershed moment’
The EU’s agreement, meanwhile, states that “Europe must become more sovereign, more responsible for its own defence and better equipped to act and deal autonomously with immediate and future challenges and threats.”
The agreement includes a large-scale rearmament plan, with joint EU-funded military procurement – something that has never been done at this scale before. “Today, history is being written,” said European Commission president Ursual von der Leyen. “We are coming out of this European Council very determined to ensure Europe’s security and to act with the scale, the speed and the resolve that this situation demands.”
Earlier von der Leyen told the press that it was “a watershed moment for Europe. Europe faces a clear and present danger and therefore has to be able to protect itself as we have to put Ukraine in a position to protect itself and to push for a lasting and just peace.”
During the hours-long summit, Zelenskyy traveled to Belgium’s royal palace to meet with King Filip. The king emphasised “the dignity” that Zelenskyy has show “over the past days,” clearly referring to the disastrous meeting with US president Trump last week. “Belgium stands at your side,” he told the Ukrainian president. “We are going to help you.”