On Friday, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth warned during a visit to Poland that Europe needed to boost its defence spending because it cannot assume that the presence of American troops on the continent will "last forever".

Tusk posted on X that "Europe urgently needs its own plan of action concerning Ukraine and our security, or else other global players will decide about our future. Not necessarily in line with our own interest. This plan must be prepared now. There's no time to lose."

His statements echoed those of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who on Saturday called on Europe "to act for its own good" and to have "its own armed forces" to defend itself against Russia.

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