European Union leaders at an emergency summit in Brussels on Thursday agreed on a new defence plan for Europe.
Under the new plan, the leaders sought to allocate billions of euros for the continent’s security after US President Donald Trump indicated that Europe would need to handle its own defence in the future.
The future of the continent’s defences and sustaining support for Ukraine after a shift in US foreign policy were two key aspects of the summit.
EU nations to ease budget restrictions
The 27 EU leaders agreed to ease budget restrictions so that EU countries could spend more on their military.
According to the official statement, the leaders also emphasised that the European Commission would seek new ways “to facilitate significant defence spending at the national level in all Member States.”
The EU’s executive branch estimates that this move could free up about 650 billion euros ($702 billion) for defence spending.
Leaders also highlighted a commission proposal for a 150 billion euro ($162 billion) loan package to buy new military equipment and urged EU staff to review it quickly.
In recent weeks, Trump has overturned old certainties about the reliability of the US as a security partner, embracing Russia, withdrawing American support for Ukraine, and disrupting the cornerstones of cooperation with Europe that have underpinned Western security since World War II.
Content retrieved from: https://www.firstpost.com/world/eu-leaders-back-new-plan-to-increase-defence-expenditure-amid-change-in-us-foreign-policy-13869385.html.
