Europe urgently needs to rearm and member states must be given the fiscal space to carry out a surge in defence spending, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Sunday after a meeting about support for Ukraine.

Ursula von der Leyen has distanced herself from her past support for an EU army, despite Donald Trump fuelling demands for the creation of a joint European fighting force.

The European Union must "urgently" rearm and help Ukraine turn into a "steel porcupine" that proves "indigestible for future invaders" like Russia, Ursula von der Leyen said at the conclusion of a high-stakes summit in London attended by 19 Western leaders.