The French president, Emmanuel Macron, has decided not to stay with a crossed arms due to the possibility that Europe is relegated in an eventual peace process in Ukraine. This Monday, Paris hosts an emergency meeting with the main leaders of the EU, the United Kingdom, the European Commission and NATO. The objective is clear: prevent Washington and Moscow from deciding the future of Ukraine without counting on Europeans.
The call, described as “informal” by Elyseo, comes just after the administration of Donald Trump shows his intention to put aside Europeans in negotiations with Russia. “The President of the Republic has decided to establish consultations between European leaders about the situation in Ukraine and security challenges in Europe,” said an Elysee statement.
The appointment will be attended, in addition to Macron, the leaders of Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Netherlands, Denmark and the United Kingdom. The president of the European Council, António Costa; The president of the European Commission, Úrsula von der Leyen, and the general secretary of NATO, Mark Rutte.
The meeting is not accidental. Last week, at the Munich Security Conference, Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine, General Keith Kellogg, made it clear that Washington prefers to negotiate directly with Moscow, relegating Europe to the background. This position has generated discomfort in both Brussels and kyiv, where President Volodimir Zelenski has insisted that no agreement can be achieved without its participation.
Although the meeting program has not been made public, the debate on the creation of European Armed Forces is expected to be on the table. Zelenski already defended this idea in Munich, arguing that it is the only way to guarantee the security of the continent and force the United States to have Europe in their geopolitical decisions.
However, the proposal is not exempt from controversy. Polish Foreign Minister, Radoslaw Sikorski, has already made it clear that he will not support the unification of national armies under a unique command.
The United Kingdom, willing to send troops
One of the participants who has caught the attention is the United Kingdom, who, despite having abandoned the EU five years ago, has shown a firm commitment to European security. The British prime minister, Keir Starmer, has announced that he is willing to send troops to Ukraine to contribute to security guarantees in the country.
“The United Kingdom is ready to play a leading role in accelerating work on security guarantees for Ukraine,” Starmer said in an article published in *The Telegraph *. The Labor leader also criticized the slowness of Europe when assuming responsibilities in defense and assured that his country will act as a bridge between Europe and the United States.
Saudi Arabia, negotiation scenario
While Europe is organized, the United States and Russia have already begun to move. Both powers have sent delegations to Saudi Arabia, where the first high -level conversations could be held since the beginning of the war. Although Ukraine has also sent a delegation, it is not clear if he will participate in the negotiations.
President Trump has assured that both Putin and Zelenski will be part of the negotiations, but the Ukrainian leader has made it clear that he will not accept any agreement that does not have his consent. “No world leader can reach an agreement on Ukraine without my participation,” Zelenski said in an interview with NBC.
With Trump’s shadow planning about Europe, Macron and his allies have a complicated task ahead: demonstrate that the continent can be a decisive actor in resolving a conflict that has been blending Ukraine for almost three years. The Paris meeting is just the first step.
