The European Union cannot rely on the United States to defend it and must increase military spending and security preparedness to deter Russia from targeting more of its neighbors after Ukraine, senior officials have warned.

The European Union must arm itself to “survive” in an increasingly uncertain global order, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Wednesday, calling on the bloc’s member states to boost spending on defense.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called for drastically higher defence spending in the European Union in an address to the European Parliament on Wednesday. "If Europe is to survive, it needs to be armed,

Russia is posing an existential threat to the European Union's security and to only way to address that is to increase spending on defence, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Wednesday, adding that the EU had for too long offered Russia alternatives.

Intelligence services, as stated by the EU's chief diplomat Kaja Kallas, warn of a possible Russian attack starting in 2028. "Russia could test EU’s readiness to defend itself in three to five years," said the former Prime Minister of Estonia during an event organized by the European Defense Agency in Brussels.

Intelligence services, as stated by the EU's chief diplomat Kaja Kallas, warn of a possible Russian attack starting in 2028. "Russia could test EU’s readiness to defend itself in three to five years," said the former Prime Minister of Estonia during an event organised by the European Defence Agency in Brussels.

Slovakia’s pro-Russian prime minister has raised the prospect of his country leaving the European Union and Nato, arguing that world events could consign them to the “history books”.

Slovak opposition leader Michal Simecka launched an attempt to dismiss the leftist-nationalist government in a no-confidence vote on Tuesday, accusing Prime Minister Robert Fico of laying the groundwork to take the country out of the EU.

Slovakia's Moscow-friendly prime minister has faced accusations by the country's largest opposition party of trying to take the country out of the EU. View on euronews