European leaders are ready to ramp up defense spending, said Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Sunday following a summit on Ukraine in London.
Hailing the meeting as “historic,” Tusk said that “clearer declarations" have emerged regarding the willingness to increase national defense spending as a percentage of GDP.
Europe’s most powerful leaders and officials convened at a crucial London summit on Sunday hoping to crystalize their own vision for peace in Ukraine after being left out of peace negotiations involving the U.S. and Russia.
Addressing Europe’s underinvestment in the military sector was the meeting’s top priority.
“For obvious reasons, Poland is most interested in ensuring that Europe becomes increasingly strong and capable of defense on a scale far greater than it is now, in order to deter Russia from any potential attack,” Tusk said.
Poland is NATO’s biggest spender on defense, dedicating 4.7% of its GDP towards its military goals, more than double the alliance’s baseline of 2%.
The country’s defense spending is also one percentage point higher than the U.S.
The strong commitment to defense investment has earned Poland praise from the U.S. President Donald Trump, in contrast to other European NATO members that have often been berated by Trump for their low spending.
Europe’s most powerful leaders and officials convened at a crucial London summit on Sunday hoping to crystalize their own vision for peace in Ukraine after being left out of peace negotiations involving the U.S. and Russia.
Addressing Europe’s underinvestment in the military sector was the meeting’s top priority.
“For obvious reasons, Poland is most interested in ensuring that Europe becomes increasingly strong and capable of defense on a scale far greater than it is now, in order to deter Russia from any potential attack,” Tusk said.
Poland is NATO’s biggest spender on defense, dedicating 4.7% of its GDP towards its military goals, more than double the alliance’s baseline of 2%.
The country’s defense spending is also one percentage point higher than the U.S.
EU-U.S. relations
The strong commitment to defense investment has earned Poland praise from the U.S. President Donald Trump, in contrast to other European NATO members that have often been berated by Trump for their low spending.
“The best way to convince Washington that it is worth investing in NATO and in friendship is to build our own strength,” Tusk said.
He added that all leaders at the London summit wanted relations between Europe and the U.S. to be as strong as possible.
“Everything must be done to ensure that Europe and the United States speak with one voice,” Tusk said, adding that the key issue for European security is preserving the closest possible ties with the U.S.
He said the summit participants largely held the same view on crucial issues concerning the continued military support for Ukraine.
“Ukraine requires constant support and the strongest possible position before negotiations with Russia,” Tusk said.
He added: “No one has any doubts about who the aggressor is, who the victim is, and whose side Europe stands on in this conflict—of course, on Ukraine’s side.”
But, according to the Polish prime minister, European leaders have not been able to reach a consensus on the issue of seizing frozen Russian assets in Europe.
“There is still a lack of collective determination, and the likelihood of seizing Russian assets does not seem very high,” Tusk said, adding: “Poland is very strongly pressing for this, but, let’s be real, as we are not in the eurozone, our voice in this discussion will not be decisive.”
According to Tusk, “some leaders are concerned about potential negative consequences for the euro or the banking system. There is no widespread enthusiasm for this solution.”
After the summit, British Prime Minister Kier Starmer announced a coalition of the willing is being created to safeguard a future ceasefire in Ukraine.
Tusk reiterated that Poland would not sent troops even if other countries agreed to.
He added that all leaders at the London summit wanted relations between Europe and the U.S. to be as strong as possible.
“Everything must be done to ensure that Europe and the United States speak with one voice,” Tusk said, adding that the key issue for European security is preserving the closest possible ties with the U.S.
He said the summit participants largely held the same view on crucial issues concerning the continued military support for Ukraine.
“Ukraine requires constant support and the strongest possible position before negotiations with Russia,” Tusk said.
He added: “No one has any doubts about who the aggressor is, who the victim is, and whose side Europe stands on in this conflict—of course, on Ukraine’s side.”
No consensus on frozen assets
But, according to the Polish prime minister, European leaders have not been able to reach a consensus on the issue of seizing frozen Russian assets in Europe.
“There is still a lack of collective determination, and the likelihood of seizing Russian assets does not seem very high,” Tusk said, adding: “Poland is very strongly pressing for this, but, let’s be real, as we are not in the eurozone, our voice in this discussion will not be decisive.”
According to Tusk, “some leaders are concerned about potential negative consequences for the euro or the banking system. There is no widespread enthusiasm for this solution.”
After the summit, British Prime Minister Kier Starmer announced a coalition of the willing is being created to safeguard a future ceasefire in Ukraine.
Tusk reiterated that Poland would not sent troops even if other countries agreed to.
False hopes
Speaking at a press conference after the discussions, Tusk said the meeting was not about “strict decision making,” TVP World’s correspondent Sonja Agata Bišćan reported from London.
The prime minister stressed the coalition of the willing must not make promises it cannot keep.
“Today it was not a topic of debate and I would, in fact, caution our partners against giving false hopes and guarantees if not everyone is certain they can rise to the challenge,” he said.
“Today no one is focusing on declarations of who can send what.”
When asked what Warsaw plans to do, Tusk said Poland will continue to engage in all processes surrounding Ukraine but gave no more details.
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