Ursula Von der Leyen will respond to Washington’s abrupt change in policy by attending an emergency meeting regarding the war in Ukraine in Paris.
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Yes, it is about Ukraine – but it is also about us. We need an urgency mindset. We need a surge in defense. And we need both of them now,” she wrote on X.
Leaders from key European powers gathered in France to strategize after US President Donald Trump blindsided allies by launching efforts with Russia to end the war in Ukraine.
The meeting was described as “the beginning of a process that will continue with the involvement of all the partners committed to peace and security in Europe” by Antonio Costa, the head of the European Council in attendance. He wrote on X, “A key role in this process will be played by the European Union and its Member States.”
Britain has stated that it would be prepared to send peacekeepers if needed, and Europe is rushing to devise strategies to guarantee that any peace agreement in Ukraine is permanent.
The heads of the European Council, European Commission, NATO, and the governments of Britain, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, and Spain were to meet in Paris.
Prior to the summit, Donald Tusk, the prime minister of Poland, stated that he would call on European leaders to “immediately” strengthen Europe’s defenses, pointing out that they are not on par with Russia’s. Tusk told reporters, “If we do not immediately take practical steps regarding our own defense capabilities, we will not be able to help Ukraine effectively.”
“Pro-war, anti-Trump, frustrated European leaders” were gathering to “prevent a peace agreement” in Ukraine, according to Peter Szijjarto, the foreign minister of Hungary, during a press briefing. “Unlike them, we want peace in Ukraine, we support the US-Russian negotiations, and we support Donald Trump’s ambitions,” he continued.
The Paris meeting was also criticized by Slovenia’s pro-EU president for excluding all 27 of the bloc’s leaders. In a statement, Slovenian President Natasa Pirc Musar said, “On a symbolic level, the organizers of the Paris summit show to the world that even within the EU not all states are treated equally.”