Connect with us

International

EU preparing for war: President Von der Leyen proposes €800 billion plan to re-arm Europe

Published

2 months ago

3 minute read

MXM logo MxM News

Quick Hit:

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen unveiled an ambitious “Rearm Europe” plan on Tuesday, proposing up to 800 billion euros ($870 billion) in funding to bolster EU defense and provide emergency aid to Ukraine. The proposal comes ahead of a crucial European summit on security and military preparedness.

Key Details:

  • Von der Leyen’s plan outlines five funding options, including budget flexibility for defense spending and redirected loans.
  • 150 billion euros in loans would be used for missile defense, ammunition, and drone capabilities.
  • The European Investment Bank and private capital mobilization are also proposed to finance the initiative.

Diving Deeper:

With Russia’s war on Ukraine dragging into its third year, Ursula von der Leyen is pushing to accelerate Europe’s military preparedness. On Tuesday, the European Commission president unveiled a massive “Rearm Europe” initiative, seeking to mobilize up to 800 billion euros to strengthen the continent’s defense capabilities. The plan is aimed not only at sending further aid to Ukraine but also at ensuring the long-term military resilience of EU nations.

The announcement comes just two days before a critical European summit on Ukraine and regional defense, where EU leaders will discuss security measures in the face of escalating threats. In a letter to EU heads of state, von der Leyen outlined five main funding options to finance the rearmament effort.

Von der Leyen’s first proposal calls for granting EU member states budgetary flexibility, ensuring that their military expenditures do not count towards the bloc’s excessive deficit rules for four years. This means countries could increase defense spending without violating EU budgetary constraints.

The plan includes reallocating 150 billion euros in existing EU loans to fund key military capabilities, such as air defense, missile systems, ammunition, and drones. This would boost interoperability across Europe’s armed forces and enhance collective security.

A controversial aspect of von der Leyen’s proposal involves allowing member states to redirect EU cohesion funds—originally meant for economic development in poorer regions—towards their defense policies. This could face pushback from countries that rely on those funds for infrastructure and social programs.

The fourth component seeks to leverage private investment by accelerating the formation of a European savings and investment union, encouraging private entities to fund defense projects.

Lastly, the Commission proposes using European Investment Bank (EIB) programs to help finance Europe’s defense sector, providing an additional stream of capital.

Von der Leyen’s proposal reflects a major shift in EU defense policy, as the bloc moves toward a more militarized and self-reliant security strategy. However, securing agreement from all 27 EU member states will be a challenge, particularly when it comes to redirecting economic funds toward military spending.

“Ursula von der Leyen 2022” by European Commission licensed under CC BY 4.0 DEED.
Related Topics:

Todayville is a digital media and technology company. We profile unique stories and events in our community. Register and promote your community event for free.

Follow Author

More from this author
2025 Federal Election / 9 mins ago

Nine Dead After SUV Plows Into Vancouver Festival Crowd, Raising Election-Eve Concerns Over Public Safety

2025 Federal Election / 1 hour ago

Columnist warns Carney Liberals will consider a home equity tax on primary residences

International / 1 hour ago

Jeffrey Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre reportedly dies by suicide

International

Jeffrey Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre reportedly dies by suicide

Published on April 27, 2025

By

Virginia Giuffre sued the Duke of York in 2021, claiming that he had sexually abused her while she was a teenager. According to her, Jeffrey Epstein, a former sex offender, trafficked her to Prince Andrew.

From LifeSiteNews

By Stephen Kokx

Giuffre had become the most visible of Epstein’s accusers in recent years, with her reported suicide coming just a month after she was struck by a bus.

Jeffrey Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre died by suicide Friday, her family has reportedly announced, according to NBC News. She was 41-years-old.

Giuffre had become the most visible of Epstein’s accusers in recent years. She was hit by a bus in March and suffered injuries that apparently left her in critical condition, though the New York Post stated that police described the accident as a “minor collision.”

Giuffre posted on Instagram not long after the incident that medical staff had given her “four days to live.” Paradoxically, she was released from the hospital on April 7. She reportedly passed away in Neergabby, Australia, where she had been living. Her cause of death is not known.

In 2019, Giuffre published a statement on X that declared, “in no way, shape or form am I suicidal … too many evil people want to see me quieted,” leaving many on social media to speculate that foul play was involved with her death. Though some have argued that the abuse she apparently suffered at the hands of her husband, her recent injuries and media attacks took such a toll on her that she likely did take her own life.

Giuffre has long-maintained that Epstein and his then-girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently behind bars, coerced her and others into performing illicit acts with prominent figures, including the U.K.’s Prince Andrew. Giuffre filed a lawsuit against Andrew that claimed he had abused her while she was still a minor. The case was settled out of court for $12 million.

In a disturbing development, Lady Victoria Hervey, who has dated Prince Andrew, took to Instagram to seemingly celebrate Giuffre’s suffering. Attached to a photo of a bruised Giuffre during her visit to the hospital, Hervey added the words “karma” and “what goes around comes around.”

Epstein was reportedly an Israeli intelligence asset. For decades he would fly high-profile Western politicians and prominent figures like former U.S. President Bill Clinton to his private compound in the U.S. Virgin Islands. He also had other luxurious properties as well. His New York penthouse included a painting of Clinton in a purple dress. It was at his island where he would allegedly record his guests in compromising situations to blackmail them for political favors.

NEW YORK, NY – JULY 08: US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Geoffrey Berman announces charges against Jeffery Epstein on July 8, 2019 in New York City. Epstein will be charged with one count of sex trafficking of minors and one count of conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of minors. (Photo by Stephanie Keith/Getty Images)

The “Epstein files” were partially released by the Trump administration earlier this year. They were supposed to have included the names and details of Epstein’s many schemes. Conservatives have ridiculed the files for lacking transparency. Some have suggested that Trump himself along with other public persons are implicated in them, including Epstein’s former lawyer Alan Dershowitz, which would explain why they were not fully released.

GOP Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna took to X to express sympathy for Giuffre’s family.

Giuffre was born in 1983. She had a troubled youth, eventually finding work at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago country club. She was first approached by Maxwell in the year 2000. Epstein reportedly died by suicide in his New York jail cell in 2019 while Maxwell is currently serving 20 years in prion on federal sex-trafficking charges.

If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis, call the the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.

Continue Reading

International

History in the making? Trump, Zelensky hold meeting about Ukraine war in Vatican ahead of Francis’ funeral

Published on April 26, 2025

By

From LifeSiteNews

By Stephen Kokx

Trump and Zelenksy held an impromptu 15-minute meeting inside the Vatican just moments before Francis’ funeral. The Ukrainian leader later said a ‘ceasefire’ was discussed.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met inside St. Peter’s Basilica today moments before the start of Pope Francis’ funeral.  

 

Trump and Zelensky were in Rome along with over 160 dignitaries, including Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Javier Milei of Argentina, and Prince William of the United Kingdom. The ceremony was presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals. 

Trump and Zelenksy held an impromptu 15-minute meeting inside the Vatican while seated in two chairs. Zelenksy later said on X that their conversation involved discussing a “full and unconditional ceasefire” and forging a “reliable and lasting peace that will prevent another war from breaking out.” 

Photographs circulating on social media showed British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron also joined in on the conversation. They held private meetings with Zelensky as well. 

Trump’s social media team shared photos and videos of the president and his wife Melania. In one of them, Trump is seen meeting with New York Cardinal Archbishop Timothy Dolan, who is a longtime friend.  

Leaders from various non-Catholic religions attended the funeral as well, including Buddhists, Sikhs, Hindus, Zoroastrians, though no Muslim or Jewish leaders were officially present per Vatican reporter Michael Haynes. Israel’s Foreign Ministry X account deleted several controversial posts it had initially issued after Francis’ death. Francis had been especially critical of the country’s war in Gaza, hinting on multiple occasions that it may constitute genocide. 

After landing in Rome for the funeral Friday, Trump posted on Truth Social that he had “a good day in talks and meetings with Russia and Ukraine.” He urged both countries to “meet, at very high levels, to ‘finish it off.’” 

Continue Reading

Trending

X