European leaders discuss security as shadow of possible Trump presidency looms

euronews (in English)

European leaders, including Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskyy, met in the UK for the EPC summit to discuss the ongoing war in Ukraine, migration and the state of democracy.

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00:00Leaders from 46 European countries met to discuss, albeit informally, major issues impacting

00:06the security and stability of the continent.

00:09The European Political Community Summit discussed migration, Ukraine and defending democracy

00:13amid a surge of far-right extremism across the globe.

00:17The new UK government says it's also a reason to reset relations with partners and reaffirm

00:22the continent's defence of Ukraine.

00:25The summit also highlighted the importance of supporting the country's energy needs

00:32ahead of winter and cracking down on the ships that are helping Russia to evade sanctions.

00:41We need to be clear, Ukraine is fighting not just for the Ukrainian people, though of course

00:46it is, but for the European people, for freedom, democracy and the rule of law.

00:53Our security therefore starts in Ukraine, so we pledge to President Zelensky once again

01:00that we will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes.

01:04Looming large is the potential of another Trump presidency.

01:08Donald Trump already has bad relations with Ukraine's President Zelensky, having tried

01:12to blackmail him in 2019 by threatening to withhold military aid.

01:16And Trump's pick for Vice President, J.D. Vance, has regularly stated he doesn't agree

01:20with military support for Ukraine.

01:23I think it's really important that the European Union and the European family prepares to

01:27stand by Ukraine for however long it takes, regardless of what else happens in the rest

01:32of the world.

01:33Our support for Ukraine is not conditional on the outcome of an election in another part

01:37of the world.

01:38Our European values remain the same and consistent regardless of what any other country decides

01:42to do, and it's not for me to cut across that process.

01:46But I would hope in other parts of the world, including the United States, that support

01:50for Ukraine will remain, because I do recognize that on a cross-party basis in Congress that

01:54support has been quite strong.

01:56The fact that the Republican National Convention is taking place at the same time as the European

02:00political community is helpful because it gives European leaders a chance to discuss

02:03how to prepare for a more hostile United States should Donald Trump re-enter the White House.

02:09And some of the issues on discussion, migration, defence, Ukraine, democracy, are shared issues

02:14with the United States.

02:15However, there's a tacit acknowledgement, at least from some leaders, that depending

02:19on who wins the election will really determine how these issues are resolved.

02:23Shona Murray, Euronews, Blenheim Palace.

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