European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen held a virtual meeting on Friday with the leaders of Iceland, Norway, Türkiye, and the United Kingdom to discuss the outcomes of the latest European Council summit, with a focus on Ukraine and European defence.
Costa and von der Leyen, joined by EU High Representative Kaja Kallas, briefed Icelandic Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on the March 20 European Council discussions. This marked the second meeting in a format designed to keep like-minded non-EU partners informed on key EU decisions.
Support for Ukraine and Path to Peace
EU leaders reaffirmed their commitment to supporting Ukraine, emphasizing the need to place Kyiv in a position of strength to achieve a just and sustainable peace. They welcomed Ukraine’s readiness for a full ceasefire, stressing that any peace process should not reward aggression and underscoring the need to increase pressure on Russia.
Costa and von der Leyen praised a joint initiative by France and the UK to form a “coalition of the willing,” focused on strengthening Ukraine’s military capabilities and exploring security guarantees from European nations.
Boosting European Defence
Acknowledging the exceptional security challenges facing Europe, the EU leaders highlighted the need to bolster investment in security and defence. They outlined the “Readiness 2030” roadmap — a plan to build a robust European defence industrial base capable of acting as a credible deterrent.
Two proposed financing mechanisms were presented to support these defence investments:
National Escape Clause: This mechanism would free up to €650 billion in fiscal space within national budgets, with no conditions on the origin of defence equipment, allowing partner countries’ military industries to benefit directly.
SAFE Loans: A package of up to €150 billion in loans. Norway and Iceland, as members of the EU’s single market, can participate directly. Countries like the UK, Canada, and Türkiye could initially contribute up to 35% of a defence product, with the potential to increase participation through a Security & Defence Partnership and subsequent association agreement.
Participants agreed to maintain close coordination to strengthen Ukraine and enhance European security. Costa and von der Leyen noted that governments in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Japan would be briefed on the European Council’s decisions in the coming days.
