Quotes
We are very thankful that we are not alone. And these are not just words,
the Ukrainian president said as the Brussels meeting kicked off, standing alongside EU chiefs Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa
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Who can believe that this Russia of today will stop at Ukraine?"
Macron askedEurope faces a clear and present danger, and therefore Europe has to be able to protect itself,
the European Commission chief told reportersEurope must be ready for this race, and Russia will lose it like the Soviet Union 40 years ago, ... From today, Europe will arm itself more wisely and faster than Russia.
he wrote on X
This is a watershed moment for Europe,
said von der Leyen, who has laid out a plan aimed at mobilising €800 billion (US$863.5 billion) to "re-arm Europe" faced with the threat from Russia
It's also watershed moment for Ukraine,
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We agree. That is how it is... This is absolutely in line with the position that our president and foreign minister have repeatedly expressed,
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters
The question is no longer whether Europe's security is threatened in a very real way,
von der Leyen said in a statement ahead of the emergency meetingThere must be no pause in the pressure on Russia to stop this war and terror against life,
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Every day, he makes some absolutely... contradictory statements" which are "detached from reality
Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said of Macron
Just before the attack, volunteers from a humanitarian organization, citizens of Ukraine, the United States and the United Kingdom, had checked into the hotel. They survived,
Zelensky wrote on social mediaThere’s a real fear that the US could step away and leave Europe vulnerable to Russian aggression, or other aggression. There is a feeling here that Europe’s very survival and future could be at stake,
Al Jazeera’s Natacha Butler, reporting from Brussels, said
I want to believe the US will stay by our side,
said MacronThe future of Europe does not have to be decided in Washington or Moscow,
he addedWe have to be united and determined to protect ourselves,
Macron said
The moment calls for unprecedented decisions,
he concludedOne side insists on prolonging the war in Ukraine, while the other seeks an end to the conflict,
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It is my absolute priority to strengthen Europe as quickly as possible so that we can actually become independent from the US step by step,
Merz said, hours after his election victory
I want to believe that the United States will stand by us. But we have to be ready if that is not the case,
French President Emmanuel Macron said of the war in Ukraine in an address to the French nation on the eve of the summit
It gives more fiscal space to member states for military expenditure and it gives the possibility for joint procurement on a European level,
commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday