European leaders speak out on London summit results

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte outlined three key goals of the summit:

• “Support Ukraine today. All in Europe will need to give more.”
• “We all want a peace deal, and it has to last. Europe is really stepping up here.”
• “To keep NATO strong, Europe will increase defence spending.”

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk also spoke about the summit, noting that Europe has "woken up." 

“Europe has woken up. The EU, Ukraine, Great Britain, Norway, Türkiye — all speak with one voice about helping Ukraine, the need for close transatlantic cooperation and strengthening the eastern border,” he noted on social media.

Outgoing German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called today’s meeting “valuable,” emphasizing the chance to reaffirm support for Ukraine, as quoted by the Sunday Times.

He underscored the need to ensure Ukraine can negotiate its future from a position of strength.

Scholz also noted that he remains in close contact with Friedrich Merz, last week’s election winner, despite Merz not attending the summit.

Reaffirming Europe’s commitment, Scholz stressed that a key priority is equipping Ukraine with a strong military to deter future aggression, stating, “The basis of everything will be a strong army.”

• Following the summit in London, Keir Starmer has called on Europe to take the lead in supporting Ukraine, stressing that Europe must "do the heavy lifting" to secure peace. However, he also highlighted the need for U.S. backing to ensure a durable peace. 
• In a bid to increase economic pressure on Russia and bolster support for Ukraine, Keir Starmer has also announced a £1.6bn export finance deal that will enable Ukraine to purchase an additional 5,000 air defense missiles.
• European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen made a statement following the London summit, marking her as one of the first leaders to speak out.