EU leaders commit to working together after Trump signals that Europe must defend itself

By Raf Casert and Lorne Cook

European Union leaders on Thursday committed to working together to bolster the continent’s defenses and to free up hundreds of billions of euros for security after U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated warnings that he would cut them adrift to face the threat of Russia alone.

With the growing conviction that they will now have to fend for themselves, countries that have faltered on defense spending for decades held emergency talks in Brussels to explore new ways to beef up their security and ensure future protection for Ukraine.

“Today history is being written,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told reporters after the summit ended.

She said the 27 EU leaders are “determined to ensure Europe’s security and to act with the scale, the speed and the resolve that this situation demands. We are determined to invest more, to invest better and to invest faster together.”

The pledge underscored a sea change in