mk center left, speaks with Belgium's Prime Minister Bart De Wever during a round table meeting at an EU Summit in Brussels, Thursday, March 6, 2025. Photo: VCG" src="https://www.globaltimes.cn/Portals/0/attachment/2025/2025-03-06/1e8b2387-fb61-4e3a-9d9d-886af165f23f.jpeg" />

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, center left, speaks with Belgium's Prime Minister Bart De Wever during a round table meeting at an EU Summit in Brussels, Thursday, March 6, 2025. Photo: VCG

As the US is pulling back from its dominant role in European security and pressing forward with a peace plan to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict without European involvement, leaders of the EU's 27 countries are meeting in Brussels on Thursday for a special European Council amid growing unease and apprehension across the continent.

According to a release on the European Council website, EU leaders will explore ways to deepen support for Ukraine, and discuss necessary security guarantees required to ensure a lasting peace in Ukraine.

The Associated Press (AP) reported that the focus of the summit will be finances and how to set the EU up as quickly as possible to provide for its own security, breaking from decades of reliance on the US defense umbrella.

US media Politico added that EU leaders will also consider a plan announced on Tuesday by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to unlock up to €800 billion of additional defense spending over the coming years, to "re-arm Europe." The summit is further expected to address the potential use of frozen Russian assets - immobilized since the onset of the conflict - as a resource for funding.

"While the Brussels meeting will aim to cement European support for Kiev, it is unlikely to yield any major announcements of aid beyond the 30 billion euros ($32 billion) the bloc has already committed for this year," noted the France 24. 

"This summit represents a pivotal moment for gauging the trajectory of Europe's standing and influence in the context of the Ukraine crisis," said Li Haidong, a professor at China Foreign Affairs University.

During previous US-Russia discussions, Europe was relegated to the margins, spurring a concerted push to enhance its defense capabilities and assert greater strategic independence. The aim is to ensure that any peaceful resolution to the Ukraine crisis meaningfully incorporates Europe's priorities and perspectives, Li said. 

If Europe fails to assert sufficient strength and influence, it could face the Trump administration's unilateral approach - potentially finding itself excluded from both the negotiating table and the wider framework for settling the Ukraine crisis, Li said. 

In February 24, German Chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz described Europe as being "five minutes to midnight," warning against US turning its back on allies, per Reuters. 

Persistent Challenges

The summit unfolds against a backdrop of multiple complications. Politico reported that EU officials were expecting the inclusion in the summit's statement a plan announced last month by EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas to ship Ukraine at least 1.5 million rounds of artillery ammunition this year, as well as other equipment like air defense systems, missiles and drones. 

However, Hungary is reportedly blocking this commitment, according to officials cited by the outlet. Ahead of the summit, European People's Party boss Manfred Weber slammed Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban as an "obstacle" to European unity, Politico reported. 

Meanwhile, European news website Euractiv notes that Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico threatened on Tuesday to obstruct the summit's conclusions unless the EU presses Ukraine to resume gas transit through its territory. Fico, who previously vowed to withhold financial and military aid to Kiev, has dismissed the West's "peace through strength" strategy as unfeasible. 

Domestic political instability further clouds the picture. The AP highlights that major EU players face internal uncertainties: Germany awaits a new chancellor, France's latest government is "fragile," and Spain "relies on small parties to keep its coalition intact." 

It added that Poland offers strong leadership under Prime Minister Donald Tusk, however a presidential election looms and a right-wing candidate is well placed.

"Whatever happens, the meeting is not expected to address Ukraine's most pressing needs," said AP. 

"While the world's attention is fixed on Ukraine, it seems every party is pursuing its own interests," remarked Wang Yiwei, Director of the EU Research Center at Renmin University of China.

"Britain and France - the two nuclear powers - seek to bolster their leadership in European security by playing a key role in resolving the Ukraine crisis," Wang elaborated. "Furthermore, under the guise of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, certain nations are leveraging the situation to justify increased military budgets, driving domestic re-industrialization and sharpen their global competitiveness."

Li Haidong said unlike the US and Russia, Europe's core challenge is its limited strength - particularly in coordinating and enhancing its collective defense capabilities. "As a multilateral entity, the EU faces a tangle of internal procedural obstacles that impede its ability to build and deploy military power effectively," he added.

Defining moment

In a televised address to the nation on Wednesday night, French President Emmanuel Macron announced plans to discuss extending France's nuclear deterrent to European allies as a shield against Russian "threats." Warning "Europe must prepare for the possibility that the US may not always be a reliable security partner," Macron stressed the need for sustained support for Kiev and a stronger European military, according to Euro News.

Macron, in a televised evening address to the nation on Wednesday night, said he will discuss extending the French nuclear deterrent to European allies to protect the continent in the face of threats from Russia.

Russian officials and lawmakers swiftly rebuked Macron's rhetoric on Thursday, dismissing claims of a Russian threat to Europe and warning that such escalation risks pushing the West toward "the abyss of a new world war," per Reuters.

In Germany, the two political parties expected to form the next German government have agreed to loosen the country's constitution restrictions on borrowing, enabling 1 trillion euros ($1.08 trillion) or more in spending on defense and infrastructure, the AP reported on Wednesday. 

Meanwhile, the US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz on Wednesday confirmed that the US has paused intelligence sharing with Ukraine, following Monday announcement that Washington decided to partially pause its military aid to Kiev.

Concurrently, Reuters said that France and Britain are aiming to finalize with Ukraine, possibly "in days," a peace plan to present to the US, while building bridges between the US and Ukraine before possible talks in Washington, citing diplomats.  

"Many nations may have the concerns that boosting military budgets might come at the expense of welfare programs, inciting domestic populism and dissent … Moreover, such increases could intensify debt pressures, potentially spiraling into a full-blown European debt crisis," said Wang. 

Since the conflict started in 2022, the EU and its member states have provided nearly €135 billion in support for Ukraine and its people, including €48.7 billion to support the Ukrainian armed forces, according to the European Council. 

With the US signaling a withdrawal from its dominant role, Europe finds itself grappling with insecurity, lacking the conventional military strength to face Russia independently. "Yet, a critical question looms: will relentlessly escalating military spending truly secure enduring peace for Europe?" Wang said. 

The expert said Europe is currently highly emotional, exhibiting profound hostility toward Russia. "Yet, the cornerstone of enduring peace in Europe rests on establishing a comprehensive Eurasian security framework that encompasses Russia - an imperative Europe cannot ignore," the expert added.