(6 Mar 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Brussels – 6 March 2025
1. Various of French President Emmanuel Macron arriving
2. Various of High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas arriving
3. Various of Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob arriving
4. Various of European Union Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Hadja Lahbib arriving
STORYLINE:
European Union leaders arrived for emergency talks on Thursday in Brussels on ways to quickly increase their military budgets after the U.S. Trump administration signaled that Europe must take care of its own security and also suspended assistance to Ukraine.
In just over a month, U.S. President Donald Trump has overturned old certainties about U.S. reliability as a security partner, as he embraces Russia and withdraws American support for Ukraine.
On Monday, Trump ordered a pause to U.S. military supplies to Ukraine as he sought to press Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to engage in negotiations to end the war with Russia, bringing fresh urgency to the EU summit in Brussels.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has proposed a plan to loosen budget rules so countries that are willing can spend much more on defense. Her proposal is underpinned by 150 billion euros ($162 billion) worth of loans to buy priority military equipment.
Most of the increased defense spending would have to come from national budgets at a time when many countries are already overburdened with debt.
France is struggling to reduce an excessive annual budget deficit of 5% of GDP.
Five other countries using the euro currency have debt levels over 100% of GDP: Belgium, Greece, Spain, Italy and Portugal.
Europe’s largest economy, Germany, has more room to borrow, with a debt level of 62% of GDP.
AP video shot by Ahmad Seir
Production: Aleksandar Furtula
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