Jan Strupczewski

Support for the European Union among citizens is at a record high, with three quarters saying membership of the bloc is beneficial because of its role in protecting peace and strengthening security, a Eurobarometer poll showed on Tuesday. The poll, conducted for the European Parliament in January and February, found that 74% EU citizens thought their country benefited from EU membership - the highest recorded since the question was first asked in 1983. After three years of war in Ukraine on Europe's eastern flank, the survey comes amid fears that Moscow may attack an EU member in the coming years and doubts about the future of U.S. protection for Europe via the NATO defence alliance. "The main reason why people think that EU membership is beneficial has changed: protecting peace and strengthening security has gained three points since the summer and is now in first place with 35%," Eurobarometer said.

European Union leaders are now in agreement that the EU must be fully capable of defending itself against a Russian attack by 2030, despite earlier resistance to the deadline from some countries, Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Friday.

The European Commission provided new details on Wednesday of proposals to finance a jump in defence readiness to deter any future attack from Russia and become less dependent for security on the United States.

European Union finance ministers on Tuesday backed a proposal to use the flexibility in the bloc's revised fiscal rules to spend more on defence without triggering disciplinary steps from Brussels for excessive borrowing, Poland said.

European Union finance ministers on Monday began discussing how to pay for defence through new joint borrowing, existing EU funds and a greater role for the European Investment Bank, with a view to taking decisions in June.

Germany opened the door on Wednesday to changing EU fiscal rules -- the Stability and Growth Pact -- to help governments spend more on defence in the long term without worrying about EU-imposed spending limits or disciplinary action, diplomats said.

The European Investment Bank, the bank of EU governments, said it would lift existing limits on financing for defence projects and broaden the scope of what is eligible, although a ban on financing weapons and ammunition would remain.

The announcement came the day after Donald Trump paused military aid to Ukraine.

European Union leaders will meet for an extraordinary summit on March 6 to discuss additional support for Ukraine, European security guarantees and how to pay for European defence needs, EU officials said on Sunday.

The European Union is discussing how to finance a sharp increase in its defence readiness to deter any possible future attack from Russia and become less dependent for security on the United States.