President of the European Council Antonio Costa and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk at a meeting in Warsaw 2024. Photo: Abaca Press
The leaders of the European Union are preparing to discuss a new package of defence measures to address the threat posed by Russia. This was stated by President of the European Council Antonio Costa during a meeting with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Warsaw.
What is the European Union planning?
According to Costa, the European Commission will present a comprehensive package of proposals to strengthen Europe’s defence capabilities. These initiatives are expected to be the main subject of discussion at a special European Council summit scheduled for 6 March.
“Russia is a threat not only to Ukraine, but also to the entire European security, especially on the eastern flank – in Poland, the Baltic States, Romania,” Costa said, stressing the importance of EU unity in facing challenges.
In addition to strengthening defence cooperation, EU leaders will discuss support for Ukraine both in the war and in potential future peace talks.
Europe wants to strengthen cooperation with the US
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has stressed that Europe is interested in continuing its partnership with the United States, despite disagreements. This is especially true after US President Donald Trump questioned support for Ukraine and called Volodymyr Zelenskyy a “dictator without elections”.
Tusk also criticised European countries that do not invest enough in defence and supported the idea of using frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine.
Special video conference before the summit
Costa also announced an urgent video conference of EU leaders on Wednesday morning, during which French President Emmanuel Macron will report on his meeting with Donald Trump in Washington.
Macron has been trying to get security guarantees for Ukraine from the US, while Washington recently voted against a UN resolution initiated by Kyiv condemning Russian aggression.
The 6 March summit is expected to be a key moment for determining the EU’s future strategy towards Ukraine and its own defence capabilities.
