European leaders agree to increase military capacity and aid to Ukraine

RIGA - European Union (EU) leaders agreed on Wednesday at the second round of Paris talks to reach an EU-level decision in March on increasing military aid to Ukraine and increasing European defense funding and military industrial capacity.

Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina (New Unity) said that these decisions will be taken in close cooperation with NATO, she posted on her social media account after the meeting of EU leaders.

The EU leaders also discussed Ukraine's security guarantees and Europe's role in ensuring a lasting and stable peace in Ukraine. Silina has proposed a joint action plan, which has been welcomed by several leaders.

Like several other leaders, Silina participated in the talks remotely.

As reported, French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday held another meeting to discuss the war in Ukraine and European security issues.

Ahead of the talks, Macron expressed the view that US President Donald Trump may succeed in resuming a useful dialogue with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.

Macron also said that Paris had no intention of sending troops to the conflict zone in Ukraine, but was considering deploying experts or even troops in limited numbers outside any conflict zone, together with its ally Britain.

US President Donald Trump surprised both Ukraine and European allies last Wednesday by announcing that he had a "long and extremely productive" phone call with Putin, in which they agreed to "immediately" begin talks on ending the war Russia has launched against Ukraine.

Macron then brought together the leaders of the most influential European countries in Paris on Monday to discuss the situation in Ukraine and European security.

Trump's actions and statements have raised fears in Ukraine and the West that Washington could force Kyiv to agree to a ceasefire on Moscow's terms, and the US-Russia talks in Riyadh have only reinforced these fears.

US and Russian officials announced after the talks in Saudi Arabia that high-level delegations would be set up to continue negotiations on ending the war in Ukraine.