EU leaders gather for first 'defense' summit: Will they take action against Trump?

EU leaders held a special summit in Brussels to increase cooperation in the field of defense and to produce common solutions against current geopolitical threats. It was reported that the summit was organized to address the EU's priorities and financing needs regarding defense. Additionally, Trump's threat of additional customs duties on Europe will also be on the table.

Relations with the US were also discussed at the summit. EU leaders also addressed Trump's demand for Greenland, which belongs to Denmark. Furthermore, measures that could be taken against the increasing threats following Russia's attacks on Ukraine were evaluated during the discussions.

European Council President Antonio Costa stated that the decisions to be taken at the summit would also contribute to the 'White Paper' defense strategy document newly prepared by the European Commission.

In his opening speech at the meeting, Costa noted the following:

''Today, we are holding our first summit focused solely on defense issues. This meeting is an important step for Europe's security.''

It was announced that NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer would also participate in the summit in the coming period.

Since the war in Ukraine began in 2022, the EU has been seeking solutions to strengthen its defense against threats from Russia and to achieve a certain degree of defense autonomy from the US under the NATO umbrella. French President Emmanuel Macron had previously proposed the idea of establishing a 'European army.' There had been no comment from other EU leaders regarding Macron's initiative.

French President Emmanuel Macron had stated that European countries 'must take their destiny into their own hands' following Trump's demand that NATO countries increase their defense budgets