*[image: Spooked by Trump and Putin, Europe rushes to rearm]*
BRUSSELS — The European Union’s leaders made a rallying cry Thursday to embark on a military buildup to a degree they haven’t done in decades, as they contend with the specter of rising Russian belligerence and faltering U.S. support.
Along with Russia’s war in Ukraine, President Donald Trump’s sudden redrawing of alliances <www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/03/01/europe-ukraine-support-trump-zelensky/> and withdrawal of support for Kyiv are driving Europeans to fast-track plans to bolster their militaries, upgrade their arsenals — and, ultimately, to curb their dependence <www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/03/02/us-troops-europe-trump-russia/> on the United States.
A military spending spree won’t be easy. E.U. leaders broadly agreed Thursday to move forward with plans intended to unlock hundreds of billions in extra defense spending in the coming years. Meanwhile, Germany is starting a big shift away from controls limiting borrowing, and France is floating the possibility of expanding its nuclear deterrent to cover its European allies.
[image: Expand article logo]
Officials said E.U. defense plans would free up space to boost aid for Ukraine, although Thursday’s gathering stalled for the moment on finalizing a new military package.
The thrust of agreement on Ukraine was to reinforce its leverage — cash, weapons, training, security guarantees — in future talks, as Trump seeks to negotiate with Russia over the conflict. Behind closed doors, the continent’s leaders deliberated on how a settlement could take shape and how they might back it <www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/02/17/europe-plan-ukraine-troops-trump/> .
[image: A view of a production line at an arms factory where weapons maker Rheinmetall plans to produce artillery in 2025, in Unterluess, Germany, Feb. 12, 2024.]
BRUSSELS — The European Union’s leaders made a rallying cry Thursday to embark on a military buildup to a degree they haven’t done in decades, as they contend with the specter of rising Russian belligerence and faltering U.S. support.
Along with Russia’s war in Ukraine, President Donald Trump’s sudden redrawing of alliances <www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/03/01/europe-ukraine-support-trump-zelensky/> and withdrawal of support for Kyiv are driving Europeans to fast-track plans to bolster their militaries, upgrade their arsenals — and, ultimately, to curb their dependence <www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/03/02/us-troops-europe-trump-russia/> on the United States.
A military spending spree won’t be easy. E.U. leaders broadly agreed Thursday to move forward with plans intended to unlock hundreds of billions in extra defense spending in the coming years. Meanwhile, Germany is starting a big shift away from controls limiting borrowing, and France is floating the possibility of expanding its nuclear deterrent to cover its European allies.
[image: Expand article logo]
Officials said E.U. defense plans would free up space to boost aid for Ukraine, although Thursday’s gathering stalled for the moment on finalizing a new military package.
The thrust of agreement on Ukraine was to reinforce its leverage — cash, weapons, training, security guarantees — in future talks, as Trump seeks to negotiate with Russia over the conflict. Behind closed doors, the continent’s leaders deliberated on how a settlement could take shape and how they might back it <www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/02/17/europe-plan-ukraine-troops-trump/> .
[image: A view of a production line at an arms factory where weapons maker Rheinmetall plans to produce artillery in 2025, in Unterluess, Germany, Feb. 12, 2024.]
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