"With US aid stalled, only Moscow's immobilised billions can keep Ukraine fighting. The Trump administration is now determining what the future holds for Ukraine, and by extension for Europe, in matters of territorial integrity, sovereignty and security. Washington aims to make a deal to end the full-scale war Russia launched in February 2022 that Russian President Vladimir Putin has waged against Ukraine, even if it means abandoning longstanding international principles that prohibit the recognition of territory acquired through military occupation."
"For Europe more broadly, and the European Union in particular, however, there is far more at stake than those principles, which Washington has rarely prioritised in its own foreign policy. Deterring Putin from further aggression, and ensuring that Ukraine is stable both politically and economically, lies at the core of the bloc's security and political concerns. A settlement to the conflict that fails to achieve either would risk the bloc's own long-term security."
"But Europe has already, if belatedly, begun to wake up to these concerns. By last year, 23 NATO members were spending the target 2 percent of GDP on defence, and the alliance agreed a new goal of raising core defence spending to at least 3.5 percent of GDP by 2035, with up to another 1.5 percent of GDP to be spent on critical infrastructure and on expanding their defence industrial bases."
US aid to Ukraine has stalled, leaving only Russia's immobilised billions able to sustain Ukrainian resistance. The US administration is pursuing a deal to end the war that may accept recognition of territory seized through occupation. Europe and the EU face higher stakes, focusing on deterring further Russian aggression and ensuring Ukraine's political and economic stability to safeguard long-term regional security. A settlement that fails those objectives would imperil the bloc's security. NATO members have increased defence spending, setting new targets to bolster core defence and critical infrastructure, while Europe recently exceeded US military aid totals for Ukraine.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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