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European Union leaders are holding emergency talks to agree on ways to quickly increase their military budgets after the Trump administration signaled that Europe must take care of its own security and also suspended assistance to Ukraine.
Here’s what to know:
- Trump’s impact: In just over a month, U.S. President Donald Trump has overturned old certainties about U.S. reliability as a security partner, as he embraces Russia and withdraws American support for Ukraine. On Monday, he ordered a pause to U.S. military supplies to Ukraine as he sought to press President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to engage in negotiations to end the war with Russia.
- EU faces major challenges: Thursday’s summit comes as the EU is arguably at its weakest point, fragmented by the steady rise of a hard right that is often pro-Russian. Meanwhile, many larger countries face their own uncertainties at home.
- The funding predicament: Defense spending throughout Europe has gone up since Russia’s invasion began. Much is spent on weapons to keep Ukraine in the fight and backfill depleted European stocks, but demand is driving up prices.
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