The European Union cannot rely on the United States to defend it and must increase military spending and security preparedness to help Ukraine and deter Russia from targeting any more of its neighbours, top EU officials warned.
"Ask not of America what it can do for our security. Ask yourselves what we can do for our own security," Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, whose country holds the EU presidency, said, paraphrasing a quote from US President John F. Kennedy's inaugural address in 1961.
In an address to EU lawmakers, Tusk urged the 27-nation bloc to "take control" of its own security and to identify its weaknesses.
"If Europe is to survive, it must be armed," he said.
Anxiety is mounting that US President Donald Trump might seek to quickly end the war in talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on terms that are unfavourable to Ukraine, or once again refuse to defend European allies who do not boost their military budgets.
"We need to believe again in our power," Tusk told the assembly in Strasbourg, France. "We are strong, we are equal to the greatest powers in the world. The only thing we have to do is believe in it."
Tusk said that his country is spending close to 5 per cent of its gross domestic product on its defence budget, more than any NATO ally including the United States. He urged his European partners to match that rate at least until Russia backs down.
"It is today that we need to radically increase our defence spending (but) not forever and ever."
Tusk echoed the view of EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, the former prime minister of Estonia, that Russia poses an existential threat to EU security and that the only way to address this was to increase defence spending.
EU leaders are set to meet for an "informal retreat" outside Brussels on February 3 for talks focused uniquely on security and defence for the first time. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte is due to attend.