Von der Leyen proposes new €150B common defense fund
Commission president announces “Rearm Europe” plan after U.S. President Donald Trump suspended all military aid to Ukraine.
BRUSSELS — European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday proposed a new common instrument to boost military spending across the European Union.
She suggested allowing EU countries to draw on up to €150 billion in loans as part of a five-part plan to scale up defense spending.
Speaking to reporters, she presented a "Rearm Europe" plan to unlock up to €800 billion of additional defense spending over the coming years. She outlined these ideas in a letter to national governments on Tuesday morning.
Von der Leyen’s announcement came hours after Trump decided to stop all military aid to Ukraine following his disastrous meeting at the Oval Office on Friday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The bloc’s 27 ambassadors will react to von der Leyen’s ideas during a meeting on Tuesday that will lay the ground for a high-stakes summit of EU leaders on Thursday.
Commission president announces “Rearm Europe” plan after U.S. President Donald Trump suspended all military aid to Ukraine.
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