The leaders convened this Sunday in London to treat the Ukraine crisis and the need to rearm Europe have reached a clear conclusion: they are responsible for taking the initiative. The host of the meeting, Keir Starmer, has announced that “the United Kingdom, France and other countries” – which has not specified – “will work together with Ukraine in a plan to end the fighting, which will then be discussed with the United States so that it can be driven jointly.”
Keir Starmer expressed at the beginning of the European leaders Summit what they all thought: “We live a unique moment in a generation for Europe security,” he told them, to emphasize the importance of the meeting. reminiscent of that crisis of the missiles of Cuba who, in which the affronts were dodged and preferred to strengthen the union points.
The leaders convened in the British capital to erase to the extent possible of the collective memory the varapalo suffered by the Ukrainian leader 48 hours earlier in the White House.
They have decided to avoid any confrontation response addressed to Donald Trump,
They have assumed that any solid peace agreement between kyiv and Moscow will need safety guarantees by Washington – who today Trump is not yet willing to offer – but have committed to Europe to be the first to contribute those guarantees.
They have understood that the time has come, and that
And finally, they have decided to take the lead, assume their own responsibility, and start working in a peace plan for Ukraine without waiting for the US administration to take the initiative.
It is not a definitive agreement, as delegations such as Italian or Spanish, but an impulse pursued by all. “In today’s meeting different options have been explored to promote just and lasting peace in Ukraine and guarantee European security. No plan has been completed, but important advances have been made, ”said Moncloa sources after the summit, attended by President Pedro Sánchez. “Spain supports this strategic reflection and will remain an active part of it, with the aim of finding a way for peace as soon as possible,” they added.
Starmer has been the only one to offer a press conference at the end of the meeting, in which in addition to announcing the beginning of the work to forge that peace plan, he has dismantled all the agreements reached in two hours of meeting.
First, all the assistant countries, among which were included Canada and Türkiye, in addition to the representatives of the community institutions – the president of the commission, Ursula von der Leyen; and the president of the Council, António Costa – and the general secretary of the NATO, Mark Rutte, have pledged to “maintain the flow of military aid” to Ukraine, as well as to continue pressing Russia financially, to maintain the negotiating strength of kyiv.
Secondly, they have reaffirmed their willingness that any lasting peace agreement has Ukraine at the negotiating table and consolidates the sovereignty and security of the country. Third, Starmer said: “In the event that a peace agreement is reached, we will continue to reinforce the defensive abilities of Ukraine so that any future invasion can stop.”
The “coalition of volunteers”
Starmer is aware that not all European countries coincide in the short or medium term strategy that is necessary to support Ukraine. Nor with the rhythm or the urgency with which that help must be deployed. Other governments have been reluctant to such a precipitous step when there is still no high fire.
Therefore, the British prime minister has rescued that formula that the then president of the United States, George W. Bush, to group allies in his Iraq invasion, when much of the international community was against that adventure.
“We will continue promoting a coalition of volunteers to defend an agreement [de paz] in Ukraine, and to guarantee that peace. Not all nations will feel that they can contribute, but that cannot assume that we stand up, ”said Starmer. “Those volunteers who join will begin to increase with true urgency the intensity of their planning,” he announced.
The Labor leader has reiterated the offer of his country to “put military boots on the field” as soon as possible, and has also announced the British offer to Ukraine to access his export aid credits, worth almost 2,000 million euros, for the acquisition of 5,000 anti -aircraft defense missiles manufactured in the United Kingdom.
has suggested that the measures agreed in London had the support of the US president, and has insisted that Washington’s collaboration is essential. “Europe must assume the greatest weight of the burden, but to support peace in this continent and succeed, this effort must have a strong support from the United States,” he said.
The Europe’s rearme
The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has confirmed her intention to present on March 6, at the meeting convened in Brussels to treat spending in defense of EU countries, “a complete plan to urgently rear to Europe (…). If something is clear, we need a massive impulse in defense, ”he said. Von der Leyen has defended the need to reinforce Ukraine with security guarantees as complete as possible: “We must turn the country into a steel porcospine that is indigestible for potential invaders,” he explained.
The NATO general secretary, Mark Rutte, has also congratulated himself on the acceleration with which many of the countries present in the meeting have begun to announce commitments of a greater expense in defense, and his contribution in European security guarantees for Ukraine.
While the European leaders left London, Zelenski received a last warmth of warm: King Carlos III received him at his Sandringham residence, to make it clear that Europe is still next to him.
