European leaders have come together to demand a “lasting peace” for Ukraine, as the relationship with Washington reaches its lowest point in recent memory. With the fear of a peace that could be seen as a capitulation of Ukraine, French President Macron convened an informal summit in Paris, bringing together a restricted group of 8 countries to discuss the European position on the Ukraine war. The meeting, organized in just 24 hours, was not expected to produce concrete decisions, but rather a commitment to principles and a show of unity among European leaders in their demand for a seat at the negotiating table.
The British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, proposed sending a peacekeeping contingent to guarantee Ukraine’s peace, an idea that gained support from countries like Sweden, the Netherlands, and Belgium. France and Germany may also contribute to such a contingent. However, not all attendees shared this view, with Poland, which shares a border with Ukraine and Belarus, expressing its opposition to sending soldiers. The Polish Prime Minister made it clear before leaving for Paris that Warsaw does not consider deploying troops to Ukraine.
The Paris summit was a response to the challenges posed by the Trump administration to European security, which gained momentum at the recent Munich Security Conference. The need for this meeting became apparent after Europe realized the implications of Trump’s intentions to leave Europe out of key dialogues. This intention is set to be reiterated today in a meeting between Russian diplomat Sergey Lavrov and US Representative Marco Rubio in Riyadh.
The restricted format of the summit, which included seven EU member states and the United Kingdom, allowed for a more focused discussion, avoiding the potential divisions that might have arisen if all EU member states had been involved. Despite the tense situation, the French Foreign Minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, downplayed the significance of the meeting, stating that such gatherings are “frequent and should not be dramatized.”
Meanwhile, Washington has made it clear that it expects Europe to bear the cost of rebuilding Ukraine, estimated to be at least half a billion euros over the next decade, according to World Bank estimates. The Paris meeting addressed key issues such as Europe’s role in negotiations with Russia and the subsequent maintenance of peace, including guarantees for Ukraine and European security. Other pressing matters, like the Common European Defense Strategy and the need to increase the continent’s defense budget, also weighed heavily on the agenda.
As British Prime Minister Starmer aptly put it in the Daily Telegraph, “We face a generational moment regarding the collective security of our continent. It is no longer just about the future of Ukraine. It is an existential issue that affects all of Europe.” This sentiment set the tone for the informal meeting in Paris, emphasizing the urgency and gravity of the situation.
