WW3 warning as Europe face harrowing ‘money today or blood tomorrow’ choice | World | News
A European leader has warned Europe that it faces the harrowing prospect of war. As EU leaders gather in Brussels for a major summit on supporting efforts to fight Ukraine’s illegal Russian occupation, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the continent faced a choice between “money today or blood tomorrow”.
He added: “And I’m not just talking about Ukraine, I’m talking about Europe. This is a decision for us to make and ours alone. I think all European leaders need to eventually rise to the occasion.” EU leaders vowed to find money to meet Ukraine’s financing needs at a summit in Brussels on Thursday.
The EU estimates that Ukraine will require an additional €135 billion ($159 billion) over the next two years to remain financially stable, with financing pressures expected to emerge in early April.
To help address the shortfall, the European Commission has proposed a plan to withdraw around 210 billion euros from Russian central bank assets currently frozen within the bloc.
But Hungary’s Viktor Orbán told reporters in Brussels that the idea of using frozen Russian assets was “stupid”.
He added that the EU should stay out of war and work for peace. EU officials said ahead of Thursday’s Brussels summit that they were optimistic about reaching a deal, even if negotiations had to continue overnight.
While the summit is planned to conclude on Friday, it may be extended if necessary.
Meanwhile, European Council President António Costa promised to keep the leaders in Brussels until an agreement is reached.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that he would personally attend the meeting, increasing the pressure on Belgium.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the presence plan was critical to increasing pressure on Vladimir Putin and sending a “clear signal to Russia”.
Meanwhile, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: “We have one ultimate goal in this European Council, and that is peace. Ukrainianpeace through force, and for this Ukraine must have secure funding for the next two years, 2026 and 2027.”
