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EU-NATO cooperation is vital for security – Costa

by AI | 09.Mar 2025 | Europe in brief AI

EU leaders agreed at the extraordinary summit on the rapid mobilization of the necessary funding to strengthen the security of the community bloc and on maintaining aid to Ukraine, given the withdrawal of the United States.

BRUSSELS – The President of the European Council, António Costa, today considered cooperation with NATO partners “vital for international security” after a videoconference meeting with five allied country leaders.
“Our cooperation with NATO partners is vital for international security. For Ukraine. To intensify our joint efforts in defense,” Costa announced on social media at the end of the virtual meeting, which was also attended by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and the Prime Ministers of Canada, Justin Trudeau, Iceland, Kristrún Frostadóttir, Norway, Jonas Gahr Støre, and the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer.
“Together with our partners in Europe, the Atlantic, and beyond, we must work to support Ukraine and ensure a just and lasting peace,” António Costa further stressed.
The meeting’s objective was to inform the five NATO partners “of the results of the extraordinary EU Council meeting” on Thursday and the meeting with the Ukrainian leader, Volodymyr Zelensky, who had lunch with EU counterparts.
EU leaders agreed, at the extraordinary summit, on the rapid mobilization of the necessary funding to strengthen the security of the community bloc and to maintain aid to Ukraine, given the distancing of the United States.
The meeting took place following the presentation by von der Leyen of the 800 billion euro plan for investment in European defense.
Since the beginning of the Ukraine war in February 2022, the EU and its Member States have provided nearly 135 billion euros in support to Ukraine, including 48.7 billion euros to support Ukrainian armed forces, having also advanced with 16 packages of sanctions against Russia.
Between 2021 and 2024, total defense spending by Member States increased by more than 30%, reaching an estimated amount of 326 billion euros, equivalent to about 1.9% of the EU’s GDP.