Most of the leaders — 13 of them, including von der Leyen, attended in person while another 24 joined online — declared renewed support for Ukraine, claiming they are ready to announce additional aid packages and reiterating that Kyiv cannot be left out of talks on its future.
Von der Leyen announced the EU will allocate €3.5 billion to Ukraine in March; Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez promised a €1 billion package and outgoing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also announced further help.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said Europe must think about what to do now, beyond just wartime support. “For too long we were on autopilot mode because of the U.S.,” he said.
“Now the U.S switched the autopilot off for an unknown term. Now it is the time to think through what we should do. Of course military support is important, but it might not be enough,” he said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of the need for a lasting peace, cautioning that it cannot be simply wished into existence. “This year must be the year when real, lasting peace begins. Putin will not grant us this peace and will not hand it over in exchange for something,” he said, adding that “peace cannot be simply declared in an hour.”
“If someone tries to do so in this way — without any foundation, it will not work,” Zelenskyy said, emphasizing that the only real security guarantee for Ukraine is NATO membership.
His comments came as U.S. National Security Adviser Mike Waltz told Fox News he “doesn’t see Ukraine enter into NATO and then having U.S. troops essentially obligated immediately.”
Uncertainty over the U.S. commitment to Ukraine and Europe’s security loomed over the whole summit, with several participants openly worrying that Europe’s formerly biggest ally is pivoting toward the Kremlin.
Czech President Petr Pavel recalled the 1938 Munich Agreement, signed between the U.K., France, fascist Italy and Nazi Germany and obliging Czechoslovakia to surrender its border regions to Germany. Germany subsequently broke the deal and invaded Poland, triggering World War II.
“There is no doubt that the ultimate goal is to wipe out Ukraine. We all want a lasting peace, not peace at any cost,” he said via video link. “Peace is built on the humiliation of the victim — the reward for aggression. We know what betrayal feels like. We had such an experience in 1938. There must be a clear recognition of who is the aggressor and who is the victim.”
