France and Britain, which are at the head of the newly formed "coalition of the willing", are proposing a month-long ceasefire in Ukraine. What will it look like? And what else was said after the London meeting?
A "coalition of the willing", led by the UK and France, is being formed at the London meeting on Ukraine. The two countries are proposing a month-long ceasefire in Ukraine. French President Emmanuel Macron said this in an interview with the French newspaper Le Figaro. This should create space for diplomatic solutions.
What exactly will the ceasefire look like?
The initial de-escalation measure in this plan provides for "a ceasefire in the air, at sea and in the energy infrastructure", Macron announced. At this stage, the agreement will obviously not affect the fighting on the front in eastern Ukraine. It should not be forgotten that at the moment the front line corresponds approximately to the distance between Paris and Budapest, the French president emphasized in this regard and explained that it would be very difficult to verify whether it is respected.
European ground peacekeeping troops can only be discussed in the second stage. "In the coming weeks, there will be no European troops on Ukrainian soil", Macron said, quoted by Le Figaro. They could only be sent if a ceasefire is successfully negotiated between Ukraine and Russia. Macron stressed that security guarantees are essential. For three years now, Ukraine has been defending itself with the help of the West against an aggressive war launched by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
What else was said in London?
The meeting in London, which was also attended by other European heads of state and government, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, EC President Ursula von der Leyen, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, was planned even before the scandal at the White House that erupted on Friday during Zelensky's visit to Trump in front of the cameras.
Beyond the proposal for a temporary ceasefire, it was decided in London to continue providing military aid to Ukraine and to increase economic pressure on Russia. The leaders agreed that any proposal for a lasting peace must guarantee Ukraine's sovereignty and security, and that Kiev must be present at all peace talks. In the event of a peace agreement, the politicians pledged to increase Ukraine's defense capabilities to deter any future invasion by Moscow.
What did Zelensky say after the meeting?
Ukraine will "never" recognize the annexation of its territories occupied by Russia, even if this is necessary to reach a peace agreement, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told British journalists after a summit of European leaders in London.
Kiev will always view the territories seized by Russia as a "temporary occupation," although the country currently does not have enough military forces to completely oust Russia, the Ukrainian leader stressed. "Our territories and our values are not for sale. Our freedom is not for sale. We are paying a high price for Russia dragging us into this," Zelensky said. He added that Ukraine would only accept the ceasefire if it was given reliable security guarantees. Zelensky also said that his country was still ready to sign a raw materials agreement with the United States. It would be signed when the parties were ready, Zelensky told several British media outlets.
Tusk: Security guarantees were not discussed
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who also attended the meeting in London, said that the participants did not discuss security guarantees for Ukraine. "I would warn our partners not to create illusions about guarantees if not everyone is sure that they can cope with such a challenge. "No one today focused on declarations of who should deliver or organize what," Tusk said.
"At the moment, we all have the feeling that no one has a plan of action. And this feeling of chaos, of an improvised approach... sometimes evokes emotions like those we witnessed during that indecent spectacle in Washington a few days ago. Which we would all prefer to avoid,", the British newspaper Guardian quoted Tusk as saying.
According to Tusk, it is necessary to propose a format in which Europe, Turkey and Canada could develop a "concrete plan for negotiations" with Russia. According to Tusk, European leaders should "calmly propose a systematic common" position for future negotiations. This will also impress Donald Trump, the politician is confident.
Europe "urgently needs to rearm"
After the London meeting, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also addressed the media. She said that Europe "urgently needs to rearm". Von der Leyen will present a plan for this at the upcoming EU summit on March 6.
What is Germany doing?
It is unclear what role Germany will play in Ukraine policy in the future. Outgoing Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) sounded cautious after the London meeting. He called for an end to the bombings to facilitate a ceasefire. Foreign Minister Analene Baerbock called on Germany to join the "coalition of the willing" and stressed the urgent need for financial participation. "We have heard that all Europeans are ready. And now the new German government, together with the old German government, must secure the three billion that we have been blocking all this time and that must now come from Germany to Ukraine. Now the current Federal Chancellor must release them." In order to make this money available to Ukraine, Germany must reform the so-called debt brake.
At the same time, the leader of the Social Democrats (SPD), Lars Klingbeil, called for close coordination with the United States. "We must be deeply rooted in the transatlantic relationship and continue to send signals to the Americans that we want to act together with them," said Klingbeil. However, he is convinced that "Europe's time has come". Progress must be made in security and defense policy.