BRUSSELS, Jan 14: EU leaders will gather in Belgium on February 3 for an exceptional defence "retreat" involving Britain's prime minister and NATO's secretary general, two weeks after Donald Trump returns to the White House.
The talks will come at a crucial juncture, with key Ukraine backers Britain and the EU warily eyeing Trump's promises to put a swift end to the conflict after taking power on January 20. Trump has also demanded NATO members raise their defence spending.
"Europe needs to assume greater responsibility for its own defence," European Council chief Antonio Costa wrote Monday in a letter inviting EU heads of state and government to the talks at Limont Castle, an hour outside Brussels.
"I believe we share a similar assessment of the threats Europe is facing," Costa told member states -- with Russia's aggression against Ukraine spelling the return of "high-intensity war" to the continent, along with a surging threat from hybrid and cyber-attacks against member states.
"Peace in Europe depends on Ukraine winning a comprehensive, just and lasting peace," Costa underlined, warning that the geopolitical outlook for the bloc would "remain challenging in the foreseeable future".
Trump takes power nearly three years after Russia's invasion as Ukraine's fatigued forces are being pushed back on the front line.
The EU's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas reiterated last week that she hopes the United States will maintain its support for Kyiv -- but that if not, Europe was ready to take the lead.
Costa extended an official invitation last month for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to join the February meeting -- as his Labour party pushes to "reset" relations with the EU after years of post-Brexit rancour.
NATO's secretary general, Mark Rutte, will also attend to "discuss the most pressing defence-related issues, in particular our support for Ukraine, as well as EU-NATO cooperation", Costa said.
"We have a common interest in doing more and better at European level," he wrote in his letter to leaders.
Talks will focus on defining priorities for boosting Europe's defence capabilities, on how to accelerate private financing and better mobilise public funds for defence, and how to deepen partnerships including with non-EU European partners. —AFP
