Europe united for Ukraine - Angus Robertson

French President Emmanuel Macron proposed a one-month truce between Ukraine and Russia and advocated for boosting Europe’s defence expenditure to 3-3.5% of GDP, highlighting the need for enhanced military capabilities to counter external threats. Denmark also announced plans to increase its defence budget by over 70%, allocating an additional $7 billion over two years, making it one of the first European nations outside Poland and the Baltics to surpass 3% of GDP in defence spending.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen underscored the urgency of rearming Europe, citing a prolonged period of underinvestment in defence.

As everyone knows, however, the United States’ assistance in this war is vital. While events in the Oval Office have dwarfed all media attention—and certainly gave great cause for concern about the US’s future attitude to global stability—hopefully the USA will play a positive part.

Moving forward, work must be done to bring all partners together to fend off Russian aggression. While some may see giving support for Ukraine as transactional, the truth remains that peace, security, freedom and democracy are always worth fighting for, whether profitable or not. While these values might not be measured in pounds, dollars, or euros, failing to defend them will come at a price.