European leaders have issued statements of support for Kyiv and calls for Europe to do more following the suspension of U.S. military aid to Ukraine.
White House officials have said all military aid to Ukraine is to be frozen with immediate effect until Kyiv shows a commitment to pursuing peace talks.
Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has repeatedly said peace is not feasible without concrete security guarantees to prevent a renewed attack by Russia.
Donald Tusk, the Polish prime minister, posted on X that a “sovereign, pro-Western Ukraine with the capability to defend itself against Russian aggression makes Poland stronger and more secure.
“In the political turmoil and growing chaos, this is what matters most,” he wrote. “Whoever questions this obvious truth contributes to Putin’s triumph. Clear?”
Britain’s deputy prime minister, Angela Rayner, said on Tuesday that Prime Minister Keir Starmer would not be “derailed” by the suspension, insisting that “common ground” exists between London and Washington with both countries seeking peace in the region but added that any peace must have security guarantees.
A British government spokesperson said Britain remains “absolutely committed to securing a lasting peace in Ukraine” as it is “the right thing to do and is in our interest to do so.”
France’s junior minister for Europe, Benjamin Haddad, said the White House’s decision strengthened Russia’s hand.
“Fundamentally, if you want peace, does a decision to suspend arms to Ukraine reinforce peace or does it make it more distant?” he told France 2 public television. “It makes it more distant because it only strengthens the hand of the aggressor on the ground, which is Russia.”
A Polish foreign ministry spokesperson reiterated Warsaw’s support for Kyiv and said the U.S. decision had been taken without any consultation, while a Polish deputy defense minister described the suspension as “bad news.”
The ball in Europe’s court?
In Prague, the Czech prime minister said Europe had to step up and provide for its own security.
“President Trump's decision highlights the urgent need for a fundamental shift in Europe's current policy,” Petr Fiala posted on X. “Ensuring our security also means intensifying our support for Ukraine. We cannot allow Russia’s aggressive policy, which threatens us all, to succeed.
“The era of relying on others to address fundamental international challenges on our behalf is over. Now is the time for Europe to move decisively from words to action.”
In a related development, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced plans to boost Europe’s defense industry and increase the bloc’s military capacity that could mobilize up to €800 billion.
Meanwhile in Budapest, a spokesman for Hungary’s pro-Moscow government said it shared Washington’s position: “Instead of continuing weapons shipments and the war, a ceasefire and peace talks are needed as soon as possible,” he said.
Further afield, Australia’s prime minister, Anthony Albanese, said Canberra is “open to consideration” of requests to contribute troops to a planned peacekeeping force in Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire.
“There’s discussion at the moment about potential peacekeeping, and from my government’s perspective, we’re open to consideration of any proposals going forward,” The Guardian quoted him as saying.
“We want to see peace in Ukraine, but we want to make sure the illegal, immoral actions of Russia are not rewarded and that Vladimir Putin and his designs, which are imperialistic, are not rewarded or encouraged,” Albanese added.
