European leaders gathered in the shadow of Donald Trump’s US election victory to call for stronger action to defend themselves and support Ukraine.

The gathering of more than 40 leaders in Budapest on Thursday is a clear signal for the Republican president-elect, who has long been skeptical of the transatlantic alliance.

The European Political Community summit, held after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, was called after Trump made a dramatic comeback as US president for a second term. During his election campaign, Trump promised to end the Russia-Ukraine war “within a few hours.”

Trump’s relationship with his European counterparts has been rocky for much of his first term. He has since said he will not defend his European allies unless they spend more on their own defense, expressed doubts about the extent of US support for Ukraine, and proposed import tariffs that would hurt European manufacturers.

His election is a new cause for concern at a time when Europe’s current two biggest powers are grappling with the weakness of Germany, whose government has just dissolved, and France, where President Emmanuel Macron’s party has lost its majority in parliament.

Speaking at the meeting, Macron said Trump’s victory was “historic” and a “truly decisive moment” for Europe. He told European leaders that they should not “outsource our security to America forever.”

“He was elected by the American people. “He will defend American interests,” Macron said. “The question is whether we are willing to defend Europe’s interests. That’s the only question. “This is our priority.”

EU Council President Charles Michel agreed with Macron’s statement and said that the continent should become less dependent on the United States in its affairs.

“We must be more masters of our destiny,” he said. “Not because of Donald Trump or (U.S. Vice President) Kamala Harris, but because of our children.”

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and other leaders spoke of the importance of continuing to support Ukraine against Russia, and it was clear that these statements were aimed at Trump as much as the other Europeans in the room.

“It is in all our interests for the autocrats of this world to receive a very clear message that there is no power, that the rule of law is important,” he said.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said it was “time to wake up from our geopolitical naivety and realize that we need to allocate additional resources to overcome major challenges.”

“This is a matter of competitiveness and European defense,” he said.

NATO chief Mark Rutte, who was Dutch prime minister during Trump’s presidency from 2017 to 2021, said Trump was “very clear about what he wants.”

“He understands that you have to work with each other to come to common positions. “And I believe we can do it,” he said, but added that he sees Russia as a threat to the continent.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had warm words about Trump. However, he disputed the new president’s claim that Russia’s war with Ukraine could be ended in one day.

“If it happens too fast, it will be a loss for Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said.

Al Jazeera correspondent Hashem Ahelbarra from Budapest said Trump’s victory “set the tone for the debate” at the European Political Community summit.

“With Trump saying during his campaign that he would reach a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin (and) end the war in Ukraine, people here are trying to figure out exactly what Americans mean by ‘a deal with Putin.’ ‘” he said.

“Will this situation, ignored by the Ukrainians, the Germans and especially the French, force the Ukrainians to make more and more concessions? “Generally speaking, Europeans are worried about what will happen next.”

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said after the summit he hosted: “A consensus was reached that Europe should take more responsibility for ensuring peace and security. “More clearly, we cannot expect Americans to protect us.”