European Union leaders are meeting in Brussels on Monday to address increasing defenses against Russia and to address the recent decisions by the U.S. President regarding tariffs on goods from Canada, Mexico, and China.
The leaders of the EU's 27 nations will gather at a royal palace in Brussels to discuss defense policies, together with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, has labeled the one-day meeting as a "retreat" focusing on defense policy, aiming for open discussions without any formal declarations or decisions.
Discussions will cover geopolitics, U.S.-EU relations, and the impact of recent tariff actions by President Trump, calling for European nations to increase their defense spending and reduce reliance on NATO for security.
The focus will be on determining future military capabilities, funding strategies, and enhancing cooperation through joint projects to strengthen European security and defense capabilities.
Costa emphasized the importance of Europe taking greater responsibility for its defense in his letter to leaders, stressing the need for increased efficiency, autonomy, and reliability in security matters.
Funding discussions are expected to be challenging due to limited financial flexibility in many European countries, with differing opinions on joint borrowing for defense spending among member states.
Despite recent increases in defense spending by EU countries, further investments are seen as necessary, particularly following Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, bringing conflict to the EU's borders.
While some EU nations, like Poland and the Baltic states, already allocate substantial funding to defense, other major economies such as Italy and Spain lag behind in defense spending, prompting calls for increased financial commitments to strengthen Europe's defense capabilities.