On March 24, 2025, around 60 European leaders gathered in Paris to draft a joint declaration advocating for the seizure of Russian assets to support Ukraine and accelerating Ukraine’s EU membership.
The summit, opened via video call by French Prime Minister François Bayrou, was initiated by Gabriel Attal and Valérie Hayer to counter growing political challenges posed by Donald Trump and Elon Musk.
Key agreements included:
- Boosting defense investments to 3% of GDP.
- Exploring the expansion of France’s nuclear deterrent to other European nations.
- Seeking legal pathways to use frozen Russian assets, worth 235 billion euros, to aid Ukraine.
Attal emphasized that making Russia bear the financial burden of Ukraine’s defense was preferable to European taxpayers doing so. The leaders also agreed to accelerate Ukraine’s accession to the EU, with a follow-up summit scheduled for June 26 in Brussels.
