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European leaders have formally committed to come to Ukraine’s aid in any future attack launched by Russia, emulating the collective defence of NATO’s Article 5, marking a major development in the fast-moving efforts to end the war.
These assistance measures, they said, should be broad, including “armed force, intelligence and logistical assistance, economic and diplomatic actions.”
In a joint statement released on Monday after high-level talks in Berlin, European leaders provided their most detailed outline yet of the security guarantees they are willing to provide to Ukraine, with the endorsement of the United States.
These are:
- “Sustained and significant support” for Ukraine’s armed forces, which, they said, should remain at 800,000 troops during peacetime.
- A European-led “multinational force” operating on Ukrainian soil, following the work of the “Coalition of the Willing” led by France and the United Kingdom.
- A United States-led mechanism to monitor and verify a ceasefire.
- A “legally binding commitment” to restore peace in case of a future armed attack, emulating NATO’s Article 5.
- Investment in the recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine, while firmly keeping the assets of the Russian Central Bank immobilised.
- Ukraine’s accession to the European Union.
The statement was signed by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Netherlands Prime Minister Dick Schoof, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
It was also signed by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa and left open for other countries to endorse.
“In any deal, nothing is agreed until everything is agreed and that all parties must work intensively towards a solution that could assure a lasting end to the fighting,” they said.
This is a developing story.