Greek PM Advocates for US Involvement in Ukraine Security Framework

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis emphasized on Thursday the necessity of including the United States in any security guarantees for Ukraine post-ceasefire.

“Securing Ukraine's future is crucial, and the United States must be a key participant in this security framework,” Mitsotakis stated upon arriving at a European leaders' meeting in Brussels.

He also expressed support for proposals aimed at increasing flexibility in defense expenditure.

Currently, European Union leaders are in emergency discussions to rapidly boost their military budgets following signals from the Trump administration that Europe should handle its own security, alongside a suspension of US aid to Ukraine.

In less than a month, President Donald Trump has reshaped perceptions of US reliability as a security ally by engaging with Russia and withdrawing support for Ukraine.

On Monday, Trump halted US military aid to Ukraine, pressuring President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to negotiate an end to the conflict with Russia, which has intensified the urgency at the EU summit in Brussels.

In Brussels, Friedrich Merz, who is poised to become Germany's next chancellor, discussed with summit chairman Antonio Costa over breakfast strategies to strengthen Europe’s defense capabilities swiftly. Merz recently advocated for relaxing Germany’s debt rules to facilitate increased defense spending.

Simultaneously, the 27-nation EU bloc is responding to news that French President Emmanuel Macron will discuss with EU leaders the potential use of France’s nuclear deterrent to safeguard Europe against Russian threats.

“The EU will make significant progress,” Macron announced to the French public on Wednesday evening. “We will enable member-states to ramp up their military expenditures, and there will be substantial collective funding for acquiring and producing some of the most advanced munitions, tanks, weapons, and equipment within Europe,” he elaborated. [Reuters/AP]