Europe Reaches Deal to Increase Defense Spending by €800 Billion
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (Wikimedia Commons).
The European Union reached an agreement to increase its defense spending by €800 billion as part of the “ReArm Europe” plan, on March 6, 2025. All states but Hungary also signed a statement in support of Ukraine in response to the United States pulling aid from the country, VRT reports. The other 26 EU states collectively signed an agreement stating that “There can be no negotiations on Ukraine without Ukraine,” per The Guardian.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was present at the EU summit in Brussels, where he received support from dignitaries such as King Filip of Belgium, EU Chief Diplomat Kaja Kallas, and British PM Keir Starmer, among others, per VRT and TVPWorld.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen designated the situation in Europe as the “most momentous and dangerous” of times and said that “Europe is ready to assume its responsibilities,” per TVPWorld.
Under the ReArm Europe plan, the EU will deregulate its defense spending budget rules, thus ensuring that defense expenditure can be increased without triggering deficit procedures. The European Commission will also give out €150 billion in loans to EU governments for defense. Von der Leyen talked about modernizing European militaries, including air and missile defense, drones, ammunition, and more, per DW.
Recent changes to U.S. foreign policy implemented by President Trump’s administration are driving Europe’s push towards rearmament. Compared to the previous administration, Donald Trump’s regime has been much more critical of Ukraine and has utilized an unorthodox strategy to deal with its Russian counterpart. The U.S. government has conducted outreach to Moscow without consulting with Kyiv, per DW.
Von der Leyen declared that if Trump desired “peace through strength,” this would only be feasible with the EU and its constituent states because “certain preconditions have to be met,” according to The Guardian.
Many European leaders put out individual statements pushing Europe to deter Russia through militarization. For example, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen remarked, “Spend, spend, spend on defense and deterrence. That is the most important message, and at the same time, of course, continue to support Ukraine, because we want peace in Europe,” per The Guardian.
Polish President Donald Tusk stated that he is “talking seriously” with France about being protected by the French nuclear umbrella. He also announced conscription for men in the country to raise a 500,000-strong army, according to Politico.
The future of Europe lies in collective security against a threat they believe to be common to all of them: Russia.