Brussels: European leaders announced, during the summit they held in Brussels, their support for plans to boost defense spending and continue to “stand firmly” with Ukraine.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, European Council President Antonio Costa, who chaired the meeting, stressed that the European Union proved at this summit that it is “able to face challenges, as we work to build a strong European defense system and stand firmly with Ukraine.”

EU leaders praised the European Commission’s proposals, which aim to give member states more financial flexibility in defense spending, along with a plan to jointly borrow up to 150 billion euros ($160 billion) to support European governments in strengthening their military capabilities.

With the exception of Hungary, 26 European countries signed the Ukraine statement, which sets red lines for future peace talks, calls for Kiev to join the EU, and pledges future military aid, without specific targets. Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof said that ‘building a unified European concept without the participation of the United States is very difficult, since establishing an independent European defense requires a lot of financial resources and a lot of time,’ but many European countries ‘prefer to rely on NATO and strengthen transatlantic relations, and we want to rely on the United States and NATO to (ensure) the security of Europe.’