Europe needs to transform Ukraine into a "steel porcupine," making it unsuitable for potential invaders, stated the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen after the summit on Ukraine in London. She echoed the sentiments of former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, saying: "We must urgently rearm Europe."
She mentioned that leaders had a "good and candid discussion" about what measures need to be taken to position Ukraine as a stronghold, as reported by The Guardian. Furthermore, von der Leyen emphasized that Ukraine requires "comprehensive security guarantees," and Europe needs to increase defense investments over the long term, as this directly impacts the security of the European Union.
"We are living in a complex geostrategic environment, and we need to be prepared for the worst, which means bolstering our defense," she noted.
Other news from the recent Ukraine summit
Earlier, UNIAN reported that the summit had many participants, including the prime ministers of Poland, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Norway, Denmark, Canada, the Netherlands, Finland, and Spain, as well as the NATO Secretary General, the President of France, the Chancellor of Germany, the President of the European Commission, and others.
Additionally, following the summit, the UK announced it would provide Ukraine with 5,000 missiles for air defense. "This will be crucial for protecting critical infrastructure now and strengthening Ukraine in securing peace when it arrives, because we must learn from the mistakes of the past," said Starmer.