European leaders are meeting today in the French capital to discuss defense policy, the Ukrainian war, and define strengthening security in Europe, especially in light of the US administration's accelerated action on the Ukrainian issue.
The informal meeting of European leaders in Paris will be attended, in addition to French President Emmanuel Macron, by the heads of government of Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands and Denmark, as well as the President of the European Council, the President of the European Commission and the Secretary General of NATO.
The meeting of European leaders comes days after US President Donald Trump spoke by phone with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and their decision to discuss Ukraine directly at a summit in Saudi Arabia. Trump said yesterday that a meeting with Putin could take place soon.
Also, US officials, led by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, are scheduled to meet with a Russian delegation in Saudi Arabia, and the meeting is expected to be organized on Tuesday.
The meeting of European leaders also takes place the day after the Munich Security Conference, where US Vice President J.D. Vance's hostile speech towards allies angered Europeans.
"We believe that as a result of the acceleration of the Ukrainian issue, as well as after the statements of American officials, it is necessary for Europeans to do more, better and more coherently for our collective security," said an advisor to French President Macron yesterday.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said, hours before today's meeting in Paris, that he was ready to send British peacekeepers to Ukraine if necessary.
London has a leading role in supporting Ukraine in its war against Russia, which "also means that we are prepared to contribute to security guarantees for Ukraine, by sending our own troops to the field if necessary," Starmer wrote in an article in the Daily Telegraph.
He also said he would meet with US President Donald Trump in the coming days, and London would like to play the role of "facilitator" between Washington and the Europeans.
Starmer said on Saturday that Europe should play a more important role within NATO.
The meeting is taking place at a particularly sensitive moment for transatlantic relations, with Donald Trump's initiatives worrying Europeans who fear they will be excluded from the process around Ukraine, a leading issue for them.
The French Foreign Minister said that today's summit should not be overly dramatized, but that it is being held at a crucial moment for the Ukrainian war and at a time when US President Donald Trump is putting pressure on Russia and Ukraine to start peace talks, reports the BBC.
Military spending will likely also be discussed in Paris. Trump wants European countries to spend five percent of GDP on defense, while NATO's current goal is two percent.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24th enters its fourth year, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on his European allies to avoid an agreement that the Americans will draft "behind the backs of Kiev and Europe."
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