Spooked by Trump and Putin: How Europe does unthinkable pivot from peace to military footing

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen: Reuters

European leaders made a rallying cry to embark on a military build-up to a degree they haven’t done in decades, as they contend with the spectre of rising Russian aggression and faltering US support.

Russia’s war in Ukraine, and President Donald Trump’s sudden redrawing of alliances and withdrawal of support for Kyiv have driven EU leaders to fast-track plans to bolster their militaries, upgrade their arsenals – and, ultimately, to curb their dependence on the United States.