Europe races to strengthen Ukraine as negotiations between US and Russia push on

European powers raced to strengthen Ukraine, as well as their own positions, amid fast-moving peace negotiations between the US and Russia.

The European Union agreed new sanctions on Russia’s aluminum sector, while officials are reportedly preparing a €6 billion ($6.3 billion) arms package for Ukraine, and considering holding an emergency meeting of the bloc’s 27 nations.

A growing number of EU members are also proposing either joint bonds to boost defense spending or putting boots on the ground in Ukraine. The veteran Singapore diplomat Kishore Mahbubani advocated the continent going further still and thinking “the unthinkable”: Considering strategic compacts with Moscow or Beijing, or even quitting NATO altogether.