Brussels 02.03.2025 Today the European leaders of major economies convened for a crucial informal Summit in London, the UK, intended to reflect upon new security guarantees in the face of American disengagement, following the “incident” in the White House. The leaders announced new defense spending and promised that they would continue aid to Ukraine “as long as needed”.
“We urgently need to rearm Europe,” declared the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, after the meeting.

Second:

We need a massive surge in European Defence.

At Thursday’s European Council, I will present a plan to rearm Europe to our Member States.

Lasting security is build on strength. pic.twitter.com/yhb2zHnbXg

— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) March 2, 2025

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The European Commission has already announced plans to give Member States more budgetary flexibility for defence spending.

Second:

We need a massive surge in European Defence.

At Thursday’s European Council, I will present a plan to rearm Europe to our Member States.

Lasting security is build on strength. pic.twitter.com/yhb2zHnbXg

— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) March 2, 2025

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Europe “must do the heavy lifting” in Ukraine but with the support of the United States, declared the British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer.
The meeting in London enrolled against the backdrop of the U.S. discussion on the consequences of Zelensky “disrespect” of the office of the presidency.

Speaking on TV, these U.S. officials clearly blaming Zelensky the “incident”, and telling him to change his behavior or “go away”, indicating that the disdain over Friday’s fiasco at the White House is far from over. “We need a leader who can deal with us, deal with the Russians at some point, and end this war,” said President Trump’s national security adviser, Mike Waltz.

“If it becomes clear that President Zelensky, either for personal or political reasons, is diverging from the desire to end the fighting in his country, then I think we have a real problem,” he added, interviewed by CNN.

Describing the Ukrainian president’s behavior as a “huge missed opportunity,” Waltz said he was “stunned” by the president’s behavior, underlining that it raised doubts about his willingness “to ever be able to negotiate” with Russian President Vladimir Putin or “to end this war.” An agreement would involve “territorial concessions” from Ukraine, he presumed, and “security guarantees led by Europe”.

The House Speaker Mike Johnson, who is the third person in the charge in the American Republic after the President, and Vice-President, said that “something has to change.” “Either he (Zelensky) comes to his senses, and comes to the table with gratitude, or someone else has to lead the country to do it,” he told NBC.

Immediately after the White House altercation on Friday, influential Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said, “Zelensky either has to change his attitude fundamentally or go.”