The gathering, hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron, brought together leaders from the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and Denmark, along with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and European Council President Antonio Costa.
Speaking on Monday evening after the meeting, Tusk said it marked the beginning of a series of crucial discussions in the coming weeks and months.
He added that there was unanimous agreement among the participants that urgent and intensified efforts were necessary to enhance security cooperation in Europe.
Tusk argued that Europe has significant financial reserves for defense.
"I asked the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, about this, and she confirmed that we are talking about many billions of euros that can be activated immediately," he said.
However, he admitted there was less enthusiasm among EU leaders about his proposal to use frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine’s military and European defense efforts.
"Most leaders would prefer to take bolder steps in utilizing these frozen funds, but I don’t feel authorized to make any official statement on their behalf," he said.
From Poland’s perspective, Tusk added, the most important change would be revising EU procedures to allow defense spending without penalties.
"Regardless, we will need a greater presence of our allies along the eastern border, both in Poland and the wider region, and we will work towards that," he declared.
Tusk told reporters that European leaders shared Poland’s view on key issues but acknowledged that such meetings do not produce immediate decisions.
Referring to recent discussions at the Munich Security Conference, he said he was pleased to hear that all participants recognized the need for immediate action to strengthen alliances, including in any future negotiations on ending the war in Ukraine.
The Polish prime minister said there was clear consensus that Europe must significantly increase its defense spending.
"Our European partners understand that the time has come for Europe to develop a much stronger capacity for self-defense," he said.
He added that there was broad support for raising defense budgets and that European nations should not be irritated when the United States urges them to spend more on their own security.
While acknowledging that there are no guarantees about how negotiations or the war in Ukraine will unfold, Tusk said there was complete agreement among European Union members and allies such as Britain and Norway that stabilizing the region and supporting Ukraine's sovereignty required Europe to become capable of defending itself.
"At present, this is not the case," he warned.
Tusk also reported that meeting participants had no doubts about the need to bolster defenses on Europe's eastern border, including Poland’s "Eastern Shield" project.
"Everyone realizes that Poland and other frontline countries will require special support," he said.
The Polish leader described as highly significant the confirmation that defense spending would no longer be classified as excessive expenditure, meaning it would not trigger excessive deficit procedures within the European Union.
He added that defense budget increases would take place at national, EU institutional and financial levels.
Tusk said European leaders were united in their commitment to strengthening cooperation and ensuring full solidarity among allies in discussions on security guarantees and lasting peace in Ukraine.
He underscored the importance of close collaboration between Europe and the United States, saying there must be "no divergences" in their approach.
"We are unequivocally in favor of full, mutual support between the US and Europe when it comes to future security and lasting peace in Ukraine," he said.
For such efforts to succeed, he added, all participants in negotiations must share the same stance.
"Negotiations have already begun at some level, so it was good to see that today Europe presented a clear and united allied position," he said.
Tusk declared that European countries were firm advocates of a lasting peace in Ukraine.
"We will urge all involved to think about a lasting peace," he said. "A mere ceasefire will not guarantee stability and security. In this regard, I believe Europe’s position will remain very consistent and clear."
Tusk expressed confidence that Polish President Andrzej Duda would present the same position as the government during his meeting on Tuesday with the US special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Gen. Keith Kellogg.
He noted that Kellogg had already met last week with Poland’s Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski and Poland’s NATO ambassador Jacek Najder.
The prime minister asserted that security in Europe is impossible without US support.
"We must always act in full solidarity and cooperation," he said.
He also emphasized Poland’s position that all future commitments to Ukraine must be serious and reliable.
"If the countries bordering Russia and Belarus, including Poland, are not secure and fully supported by NATO and the European Union, they will not be able to effectively help Ukraine," he said.
Tusk told reporters that Poland would remain actively engaged in the process of providing security guarantees for Ukraine, including cooperation with NATO and the United States, but ruled out sending Polish troops to Ukraine.
"Poland is deeply committed to helping Ukraine, and that won’t change," he said. "We are a major logistical hub, and we bear significant costs and responsibilities. We are ready to support Ukraine in its military efforts."
On the broader issue of using EU funds for defense, Tusk said there was clear agreement.
He revealed that the European Commission was working intensively on a concrete plan that would be presented soon.
"I am convinced that by the next European Council meeting, the details will be clear," he said.
(rt/gs)
Source: IAR, PAP
Click on the audio player above for a report by Marcin Matuszewski.