French President Emmanuel Macron is calling a summit of European leaders on Ukraine, amid tensions with the US, the British newspaper "Guardian" reports, quoted by BTA.
Talks between the US and Russia begin today in Riyadh as part of preliminary talks on a ceasefire in Ukraine, just as Macron is set to host a meeting of European leaders in Paris. The topic of the meeting will be the demand of France and other European countries for the United States to include Europe and Kiev in the negotiation process.
Problems with the American initiative
The talks are expected to precede the upcoming meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, which will be the first such meeting in two years. The possibility of Russia resuming its plans for Ukrainian neutrality and joint US-Russian power-sharing is a major concern among European leaders.
Macron hopes to outline a European plan of action after days of chaotic statements from the administration of President Donald Trump. The meeting will also discuss the US request to clarify whether European leaders are ready to send troops for peacekeeping in the event of a ceasefire in Ukraine.
The UK's role and the participation of other European countries
The summit will be attended by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. It is important for France that Britain actively participates in all future discussions on Ukraine. According to sources from "Downing Street" 10, Starmer could play a key role in securing Ukraine's future by delivering warnings to Trump about a potential US-Russian division of the country.
On the evening of February 14, Starmer said that Britain was ready to deploy troops to Ukraine for peacekeeping.
EU and NATO position
The meeting will also include representatives from Italy, Denmark, the Baltic and Scandinavian countries, as well as NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. European leaders will discuss options for providing credible guarantees for Ukraine's security, including plans for Ukraine's automatic membership in NATO in the event of a ceasefire violation by Russia.
Some European leaders, including Finnish President Alexander Stubb, support the proposal for Ukraine's membership in NATO under specific conditions, and US senators are already actively lobbying for this scenario.
Divergence and the future of transatlantic relations
European leaders are divided in their response to Trump's initiatives. Some predict the beginning of a fundamental rift between Washington and Europe, while others believe that if Europe manages to improve its security, transatlantic relations can be restored. The question is what role Europe will play in future negotiations on Ukraine, since the US does not intend to invite Europe to the negotiating table.
The French newspaper "Le Monde" cites statements by General Keith Kellogg, Trump's special envoy, who said that Europe would not be invited to talks on Ukraine, but that their views would be taken into account.
The President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, in his call for a new security architecture, stressed that the EU must play an active role in negotiations with Russia on the future of Ukraine.