French President Emmanuel Macron urged fellow European leaders to rise to "a decisive moment" after Donald Trump's re-election as US president, as some 50 figures from across the continent met in Budapest on Thursday to discuss global trade, migration and security.
The leaders of the European Union were joined by others from the United Kingdom to Turkey, as well as NATO chief Mark Rutte and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky, for a one-day meeting of the European Political Community.
"This is a decisive moment in history for us Europeans," Macron told the gathering in opening remarks.
"Do we want to read the history written by others – the wars launched by Vladimir Putin, the US election, China's technological or trade choices?" Macron asked. "Or do we want to write our own history? I think we have the strength to write it."
While Macron's tone was combative, he has been weakened by political troubles at home – as has the leader of the bloc's other heavyweight, Olaf Scholz of Germany, whose ruling coalition collapsed overnight, spelling uncertainty at a critical time for Europe.
The German chancellor missed the day's talks due to the unfolding crisis, and was due to catch up with the other leaders over dinner Thursday night.
Uncertainty looms over Germany as Scholz navigates political crisis
Appeal for unity on Ukraine
On the agenda for the talks are Europe's security challenges, chief among them Russia's invasion of Ukraine, as well as conflict in the Middle East, migration, global trade and economic security – issues all thrown into sharp relief by the prospect of a second Trump presidency.
"The future of Europe is in our hands," European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said as she headed into the talks dominated by Trump's return to the White House. "We've shown that Europe can take responsibility by standing together."
Most urgent among the challenges posed by Trump's return are the fear he could rethink the United States' role at the heart of NATO and pull the plug on support for Ukraine, while unleashing a trade war with tariffs on European exports.
EU leaders chart independent future as Trump takes White House
Macron urged the continent to assert its strategic independence from the United States. "We must not delegate forever our security to America," he said.
But Ukraine's President Zelensky made clear Kyiv was still counting on US engagement as well as a strong Europe to repel Russia's invasion.
"We do hope that America will become stronger. This is the kind of America that Europe needs. And a strong Europe is what America needs. This is the connection between allies that must be valued and cannot be lost," Zelensky told the meeting.
That message was reinforced by NATO's Rutte, who argued that North Korea's involvement in the conflict – and the transfer of Russian weapons technology to Pyongyang – directly threatened the US.
"I look forward to sit down with Donald Trump to discuss how we can face these threats collectively," said the alliance's new leader.
EU talks to continue
The Budapest talks are hosted by Hungary's Viktor Orban, one of Trump's rare close allies in the EU, who adopted a more restrained tone as he joined calls for European unity.
They will be followed by a meeting between the leaders of the 27 EU member states on Friday, focused on addressing the risk of Europe's economy falling behind the US and China.
Thursday's dinner is supposed to be devoted to the issue of transatlantic relations.
Leaders will also discuss Georgia, where the ruling party, seen as increasingly pro-Russian, claimed victory in a disputed election last week. The EU has frozen Georgia's membership bid over concerns about democratic backsliding.
Georgia's pro-EU opposition calls for mass protests over 'stolen' election
(with AFP and Reuters)
