“Europe’s security is at a turning point. Yes, it is about Ukraine — but it is also about us. We need an urgency mindset. We need a surge in defence. And we need both of them now,” she said on X.
Leaders from key European powers gathered in France to strategise after US President Donald Trump blindsided allies by launching efforts with Russia to end the war in Ukraine.
European Council chief Antonio Costa, who was also participating, said the meeting was “the beginning of a process, that will continue with the involvement of all the partners committed to peace and security in Europe.”
“The European Union and its Member States will play a central role in this process,” he wrote on X.
Europe is scrambling to come up with plans to ensure any peace deal in Ukraine is lasting, with Britain saying it would be willing to deploy peacekeepers if necessary.
The Paris meeting was to bring together the heads of government of Britain, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and Spain, as well as the heads of the European Council, the European Commission and NATO.
Advertisement
Earlier on Monday Germany said it was “premature” to discuss sending its troops to war-torn Ukraine as part of any potential peacekeeping force after Britain declared it was ready for such a move.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Sunday he was willing to put “our own troops on the ground if necessary” in Ukraine to ensure security in Europe.
“We have repeatedly stated that, first of all, we have to wait and see whether and how peace will hopefully emerge for Ukraine,” German deputy government spokeswoman Christiane Hoffmann told reporters in Berlin.
“Then we will be able to talk about the conditions and how this can be implemented,” she said, adding it was “premature to discuss (sending troops) at the present time”.
