Sigrid Melchior: Europe is united – now it is urgent
The immediate reactions from Europe's leaders at the disastrous meeting between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyj were telling: all expressed reservation -free support for Ukraine and its president, with one exception – Hungary's Viktor Orbán. No one mentioned Trump, apart from Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who half -heartedly suggested a transatlantic summit.
The reactions show two things: one is that Europe's countries stand united, the other that one chooses to define their security interests – support Ukraine against Russia – instead of following the United States.
Donald Trump has Apparently, Russian President Vladimir Putin and turned his allies in the western world. But Trump is not the United States; No one knows at present whether the US road choice is temporary or permanent.
Regardless, the consequences for Europe's security will be in -depth. In Europe, it has long been known that the United States wants to step down its presence on the continent to focus more on Asia instead. But many countries have not wanted to conclude from it, or even talk loudly about it.
Now the question is no longer, but when Europe can get into its own defense capability that is not dependent on the United States.
An extra-EU summit Held in Brussels on Thursday. Several decisions are then waiting. Unless Orbán makes a reality of new threats to obstruct.
In order to quickly raise money for defense initiatives, the EU will probably release any conceivable financial strip and temporarily cancel the euro countries' budget rules so that even countries with excessive deficits can equip. Control in the EU budget so that regional support can go to defense. And change the rules for the European Investment Bank so that the bank is allowed to lend money to military investments.
Perhaps the question of new, joint EU loans on the table will also come. The countries that have so far put the heels in the ground – read: Sweden – will probably agree to it.
Now the situation is another. Europe must design its own, credible, alternatives to Trump and Putin's plan.
When it stood Clearly, Trump was planning an agreement with Putin over his heads of Ukraine and Europe went France's Emmanuel Macron and Britain's Keir Starmer across the Atlantic to attract and poke Trump to make the peace agreement less bad at least.
Now the situation is another. Europe must design its own, credible, alternatives to Trump and Putin's plan.
At the summit on Thursday, new promises of military support for Ukraine are expected. Behind the scenes, Foreign Manager Kaja has been called in recent weeks with the countries for a support package worth around € 20 billion, according to sources to Bloomberg.
But if one is to be able to Get a lot of money, very fast, there is really only one source: the Russian central bank's frozen assets of just over 200 billion euros, which is largely in an account in Belgium.
The return on the money is already financing a support package at $ 50 billion to Ukraine such as the EU, USA, Britain, Canada and Japan merged last year.
Several EU countries also want the money, not just the return, to be sent to Ukraine, especially Poland and the Baltic countries. The fact that completely cold Norpa billion is probably violating international law and poses a risk in the form of lost international reputation and future claims from Russia. But maybe the situation is so serious that the EU is taking that risk.
Many ideas are already in circulation. But Europe is now moving in unknown water. And at the summit on Thursday- if not before- will the countries' state and government managers be forced to answer a whole new question: What security guarantees can they give Ukraine themselves?
