BRUXELLES: Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the EU leaders on Thursday for standing on Ukraine’s side when the block started crisis talks to confront US President Donald Trump’s turning away from Kyiv and its transatlantic partners.

Thursday’s summit brings all 27 EU leaders together for the first time since last week’s explosive meeting between Trump and Zelensky. Since then, Washington has suspended military assistance and intelligence sharing that has helped Kiev fight Russia’s invasion.

“We are very grateful that we are not alone. And these are not just words,” the Ukrainian president told journalists as the negotiations started and stood with EU executives Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa.

With America’s long -term commitment to Europe’s security, which is now in doubt, the block is under pressure to rise to the moment. Already this week, Germany’s probable next leader promised a historical U-turn on defense.

“This is a waters for Europe,” said von der Leyen, who has laid a plan aimed at mobilizing € 800 billion to “re -arm Europe,” which is facing the threat of Russia.

“Europe is facing a clear and current danger, and therefore Europe must be able to protect itself,” the Commission’s chief told journalists.

“It’s also waters for Ukraine,” she added. “We have to enable Ukraine to protect herself and push too lasting and just peace.”

Leaders are expected to give a green light on Thursday to the Commission’s defense plans, which are largely based on freeing states to use much more – something that the block’s two economic power centers seem to do.

In a bleak national address at the Summit’s Evening, France’s President Emmanuel Macron called on a wave insurance to confront a “new era” and said he would discuss to expand France’s nuclear deterrent to European partners.

“Who can believe that this Russia will stop in Ukraine today?” Asked Macron. “I would think the US will stay by our side, but we have to be prepared that this is not the case.”

Germany’s Chancellor-in-Staying Friedrich Merz, who awarded EU executives in Brussels prior to the conversations, has declared himself ready for “the worst case” and embraced radical reforms to pump up German defense spending.

‘Coalition of the willing’

Zelensy’s visit to Brussels comes as he is encrypted to Rengage Washington after the White House jumped ready to work towards a peace agreement under Trump’s “strong leadership” and to conclude a compliance with US access to Ukrainian mineral resources.

But Germany’s outgoing leader Olaf Scholz repeated European warnings against any “dictated peace” in Ukraine. A future solution must guarantee Kyiv’s “sovereignty and independence,” he said.

Trump’s search for Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the three-year-old war-derived from both Kiev and its European partners-has thrown Europe in crisis as it is considering the possibility of a more lasting withdrawal of US security support.

It has also helped to withdraw Britain in the European fold, five years after leaving the EU. Now Prime Minister Keir Stormer is working with Macron to rebuild bridges between Trump and Zelensky.

Stormmer and other European leaders made a show to embrace Zelensky over the weekend in London, which brought NATO Secretary General and non-EU partners like Turkey. The EU managers will be informed of the British leader in Brussels talks on Friday.

France and Britain have struck a ceasefire “in the air, at sea and on energy infrastructure” and calls for a “coalition of the willing” to help secure a future truce. Turkey stated on Thursday that it could play a role in peacekeeping efforts.

Leaders in Brussels need to start knocking out more broadly what “security guarantees” the block can give a peace agreement. It may include the implementation of European troops, some more states support, but as Russia repeated Thursday, it would not accept.

But although Zelensky can expect strong signals of support, the meeting is unlikely to give great new messages about assistance to Kiev, in addition to the EUR 30 billion ($ 32 billion) that the block has already committed to this year.

Several states claim that Europe currently has enough money obliged to meet Kyiv’s needs – despite the US Freeze on Aid.