The video conference was convened by António Costa, the president of the European Council, in anticipation of an emergency summit on 6 March.
European Union leaders joined a video conference on Wednesday morning to hear directly from Emmanuel Macron about his recent meeting with Donald Trump in Washington, which saw both presidents commit to bringing peace to Ukraine but disagree on the best way forward.
Trump doubled down on his goal to end Russia’s war “within weeks” while Macron warned against rushing to a ceasefire that the Kremlin could exploit to its benefit.
“We had a ceasefire in the past that was not respected,” Macron said, referring to the Minsk agreements that failed to end the Donbas war.
Sitting together in the Oval Office, Macron was forced to fact-check Trump after the American claimed Ukraine would pay back the aid the EU has donated.
“We provided real money, to be clear,” Macron said.
Wednesday’s video conference was convened by António Costa, the president of the European Council, in anticipation of an emergency summit on 6 March. The call lasted about 30 minutes and included the participation of all 27 leaders, a spokesperson said.
Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, also took part.
“Very useful (meeting) to prepare our special European Council on 6 March, where we will take decisions on our support to Ukraine and strengthening European defence,” Costa wrote on his social media.
One of the participants, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda, said: “To achieve peace through strength we must act together.”
The bloc is currently working on a new common fund to deliver lethal and non-lethal aid, such as artillery, air defence systems and training equipment, to Ukraine in the short term. The exact value of the fund is expected to be agreed on 6 March.
The goal is to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position ahead of potential negotiations with Russia and show the US that it is ready to assume a greater share of the military and financial assistance for Kyiv, a key demand from the White House.
The latest figures from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy confirm Europe’s collective support (€132 billion) has long outpaced America’s (€114 billion), debunking Trump’s much-repeated claim that America has contributed $350 billion (€333 billion).
However, Hungary’s Trump-friendly position risks derailing the necessary unanimity to approve the common fund. Costa travelled to Budapest on Tuesday to meet with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, whose government has asked Brussels to refrain from adopting initiatives that could undermine the US-Russia talks.
In parallel to the fund, the European Commission is preparing a new proposal to drastically ramp up defence spending across EU countries – another request from Washington. Von der Leyen has said the “comprehensive plan” would include an element of common EU money, although not necessarily joint debt.
Its presentation is slated to coincide with the 6 March summit.
Wednesday’s video call comes amid a flurry of diplomatic activity triggered by Trump’s surprise phone call with Vladimir Putin on 12 February, which took place without prior coordination with Western allies.
Since then, EU leaders have been briefing each other about their moves in a bid to close ranks and reassert their standing in the fast-moving chain of events. The bloc considers its security intrinsically linked with Ukraine’s stability as a sovereign country.
But Trump’s clash of words with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, calling him a “dictator without elections”, and embrace of the Kremlin’s talking points, blaming the invasion on Ukraine, has stoked fears of a one-sided process that would be ultimately detrimental for Kyiv.
The tensions eased on Tuesday after Ukrainian officials signalled their readiness to sign a minerals deal with the US after obtaining concessions from the White House. In reaction, Trump, who sees the deal as a payback for American aid, said Ukraine would have the “right to fight on” and continue to receive weaponry “for a while”.
“Maybe until we have a deal with Russia. We need to have a deal with Russia, otherwise it’s going to continue,” Trump told reporters.
Despite the development, the sense of alarm remains high across Europe.
After the video call with his peers, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk shared a cryptic message: “Uncertainty, unpredictability, deals. Are these really the rules that the new international order should be based on?”
Read the full article here