EU leaders in Paris: Strengthening defense, rejecting 'Minsk,' supporting Ukraine
Participants of the informal meeting of EU leaders, key European institutions, and NATO officials agreed on fundamental principles for continuing support for Ukraine and strengthening European defense. These principles included achieving "peace through strength" in Ukraine and recognizing the legitimacy of U.S. demands for increased defense budgets among European allies.
An EU official familiar with the discussions shared these conclusions, CE Report quotes Ukrinform.
According to the official, the participants agreed with U.S. President Donald Trump's approach of "peace through strength." They believed that declaring a ceasefire without a simultaneous peace agreement would be dangerous, citing lessons from the Minsk agreements. Additionally, they expressed readiness to provide security guarantees, with each party involved expected to determine the specifics based on the level of U.S. support.
The EU official also stated that the meeting participants were prepared to increase their defense budgets both individually and within the EU framework. This step aimed to better share the security burden with the United States.
