Europe to step up as Kyiv aid discontinued

EU mulls more defense spending amid uncertainty over Washington's support

Europe will step up to fill the void left by the United States' decision to pause military aid to Ukraine, senior politicians say.

In the aftermath of a White House official telling CBS News that Washington is "pausing and reviewing our aid to ensure that it is contributing to a solution", European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said, "Europe is ready to step up."

She told reporters at a hastily convened news conference on Tuesday that she plans to mobilize 800 billion euros ($841 billion) to ensure "a safe and resilient Europe".

Noting that the continent is entering "an era of rearmament", von der Leyen, who leads the European Union's executive arm, said she wants the bloc to change its rules so the 27 member nations can increase military spending without triggering mechanisms that prohibit budget deficits.

She also said the bloc will make 150 billion euros in loans available for EU members wanting to increase military spending.

And countries will be allowed to use EU funds previously earmarked for other things to buy and build weapons.

The proposed changes are aimed at ensuring Europe can stand on its own two feet, and that it can offer assistance to Ukraine in the continuing Russia-Ukraine conflict, she said.

European leaders will discuss the ideas at a summit on Thursday.

"We need a massive surge in defense, without any question," von der Leyen said. "We want lasting peace, but lasting peace can only be built on strength, and strength begins with strengthening ourselves."

With many in Europe seeing the pause in US military aid as a bargaining ploy to heap pressure on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to agree to a future peace deal with Russia, and with US Vice-President JD Vance saying the door remains open if Ukraine "is willing to seriously talk peace", Washington's suspension of aid may only be temporary.

However, many European leaders seem to now be seeing the US as an unreliable partner, and believe Europe must sever its reliance on Washington.

Petr Fiala, prime minister of the Czech Republic, said the US decision "highlights the urgent need for a fundamental shift in Europe's current policy".

Own security

Europe must now "strengthen our economic and military capabilities and take full responsibility for our own security", Fiala wrote on X.

"The era of relying on others to address fundamental international challenges on our behalf is over," he added.

"Now is the time for Europe to move decisively from words to action."

Europe's plan to ramp up its military spending comes in the wake of the continent increasing defense expenditure by 11.7 percent last year, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London. However, its expenditure was still only around half of the US' $968 billion, the institute added.

The Kiel Institute, a German think tank, said the US spent about $69 billion on Ukraine alone between the beginning of 2022 and the end of 2024. The next largest contributor was Germany, with a distant $13.6 billion.

Observers said it is clear that Europe, even after ramping up its spending, will struggle to fully replace the money the US was sending to Ukraine. And some countries are likely to be reluctant to increase military spending at all, suggesting Thursday's summit may be far from smooth sailing.

While Europe has taken the US decision to pause aid to Ukraine as a call to ramp up military spending, Russia has welcomed it as a possible catalyst for peace.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the BBC, "This is a decision which could really push the Kyiv regime to a peace process."

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