The 23 EU members who also belong to NATO are likely to agree to raise the defence spending target above the current 2% of national output at a June summit of the alliance that will set a new level, European Council President Antonio Costa said.

With a full-blown land war in Ukraine and an isolationist American president back in the White House, European leaders have come to a stark conclusion: They must spend more on their militaries.

NATO has said its pledge for tens of billions of dollars in security aid for Ukraine will be fulfilled by the end of 2025. The alliance announced on Wednesday that 40 billion euros ($41.6 billion) which had been agreed by the bloc's 32 members during its Washington, D.C. summit last July would be sent to Kyiv this year.

President also plans to ask for "financial contribution" for maintenance of remaining troops, European diplomatic source said.

On February 3rd European Union leaders will meet in Brussels both to take stock of the situation and to pitch fresh ideas. (Sir Keir Starmer, Britain’s prime minister, will join part of the meeting, as will NATO’s secretary-general,

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Thursday urged the United States to keep supplying Ukraine with weapons to fight Russia's invasion and said he was sure Europe was ready to pay the bill.

NATO has also taken steps to ensure its members are positioned effectively against threats in sufficient numbers and maintained at a high state of readiness. At the 2022 Madrid Summit, NATO increased the number and locations of its forces deployed on its eastern flank, integrating modern strategies and technologies to enhance its effectiveness.

Some European governments are afraid that Putin may turn his armies their way after Ukraine. They worry President-elect Trump may not help if Russia attacks.

Russia and China have stepped up military activity in the Arctic, while NATO states in the region are reporting more acts of sabotage on energy and communications lines. President Donald Trump has recently revived U.

French President Emmanuel Macron says Europe must "wake up" and spend more on its defense as Trump returns, but how realistic is the suggestion?

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Thursday called for the U.S. to continue supplying Ukraine and said Europe would pay the bill. Speaking at an event at the World Economic Forum in Davos, the NATO chief said the alliance must invest more in defence,

Incidents damaging Europe’s undersea networks have become more frequent since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, raising suspicions they are the result of sabotage.