Quotes
Europe faces a clear and present danger on a scale that none of us have seen in our adult lifetime. Some of our fundamental assumptions are being undermined to their very core,
von der Leyen warned in a letter to the leaders ahead of their meeting
Given these profound shifts in U.S. policy, and the existential threat of another war on the continent, Europe must manage its essential defence tasks,
the European Policy Center think tank said in a commentaryMember states will be able to increase their military spending” and “massive joint funding will be provided to buy and produce some of the most innovative munitions, tanks, weapons and equipment in Europe,
he said
It’s wise to assume and plan for the worst case scenario,
Tocci said
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I want to believe the U.S. will stand by our side, but we have to be ready for that not to be the case,
French President Emmanuel Macron told his country in a speech Wednesday nightThe E.U. was built for peacetime,
said Nathalie Tocci, director of the Rome-based Institute of International Affairs and a former E.U. foreign policy adviserWhatever happens, ... we need to better equip ourselves.”
Macron said on the eve of the summit.jpg)
The political developments in Europe and the world are evolving faster than we anticipated just a week ago,
Merz said in announcing the proposalOur nuclear deterrent protects us: it's complete, sovereign, French through and through
He said in an address to the nation
This is Europe's moment and we must live up to it,
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen declared, unveiling her €800 billion "ReArm Europe" plan
Sweden didn't want to be the last one standing,
Hakansson saidIs it enough for the future? Probably not,
said one senior EU diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymityIn view of the increasing threat situation, it is clear to us that Europe … must now very quickly make very big efforts, very quickly, to strengthen the defense capability of our country and the European continent,
Germany’s likely next chancellor, Friedrich Merz, said Tuesday
Last year alone, thanks to Ukrainian and partner efforts, we produced over 1.5 million drones of various types. Ukraine is now the world leader in drone warfare. This is our success. But it’s also your success,
he said earlier this month at the Munich Security ConferenceWe need to continue to engage with the U.S. on debate on European security and we need to find a way maybe how to bring Ukraine and the U.S. closer together,
Lipavsky said
The core interest of the Czech Republic and, I hope, most European countries is to make sure that we will stop Russian imperialism, that we will protect the principles that borders are not changed by brute force,
he saidThe nightmare scenario is that the U.S. announces a deal soon that accepts most of Russia’s demands and then tells Ukraine and Europe to take it or leave it,
said Malcolm Chalmers, deputy director general at the Royal United Services Institute in London
This will support EU efforts to achieve a rapid and significant increase in defence spending in order to answer the unprecedented security and defence situation.”
Mrs von der Leyen added
We in Europe are very appreciative of the support of the United States and the role it has played in European security for decades.”
She saidIf the Europeans want to step up and make up for the loss of American aid to Ukraine, it needs to happen now,
Tenenbaum said