They say it is “early” to talk about deploying troops
European leaders agreed this Monday at the informal summit organised by French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on the need to take a step forward in support of Ukraine, while increasing investment in defence to take more charge of the situation on the continent, although pointing out that the United States cannot ignore the future security of kyiv.
After the emergency summit called by Macron in response to the diplomatic steps initiated by the President of the United States, Donald Trump, with the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, which threaten a peace agreement behind the backs of the Europeans and Ukrainians, the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, has insisted that Ukraine cannot abide by “an imposed peace” or “accept what is presented to it regardless of the conditions”.
For this reason, he has assured that kyiv can continue to count on European support and “trust” the countries of the bloc. In any case, he has cooled the option of sending troops to the ground to control an eventual ceasefire, as the United Kingdom or France do, by pointing out that it is a premature debate.
On the other hand, Scholz has confirmed a common commitment to raise defense spending to “at least” 2 percent of GDP and that this remains outside the limits of budgetary control.
For his part, the British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, has stressed that it is essential that there is involvement of the United States to dissuade Moscow from future attacks. “The important thing is that we ensure that Ukraine is in the strongest possible position,” he said after leaving the meeting.
“We have to recognise the new era we are in, not cling hopelessly to the comforts of the past,” he said, adding that “only a lasting peace in Ukraine that safeguards its sovereignty will deter Putin” from new aggressions.
The British Prime Minister, who has announced that he will go to Washington next week, has insisted that the key is “to maintain peace through strength.” “The Europeans will have to take a step forward, both in terms of spending and the capabilities that we provide to Ukraine,” he stressed.
STRENGTHENING COOPERATION WITH THE US
In the same vein, the Prime Minister of Poland, Donald Tusk, has stressed that the meeting has served to close ranks regarding the urgency of strengthening cooperation with the United States for peace talks and the end of the war in Ukraine, admitting that Europe must have a greater role to guarantee security on the continent.
Instead of confronting Washington, Europeans must face the fact that transatlantic relations “are in a new phase,” Tusk argued. “We all see it. No one should be surprised,” he said, pointing out that European partners must assume that “Europe has a much greater capacity for self-defense.”
He also emphasized the need to increase defense spending, something that he said was “unanimous” at the table. “There is no reason to get irritated when an American ally says, spend more, be stronger, be more resilient, because these words are absolutely justified by the facts,” he said, although he maintained his refusal to deploy peacekeeping forces in Ukraine, like Germany and contrary to the United Kingdom or France.
In any case, regarding the security mechanisms to ensure that Russia does not repeat a new invasion in the future, Tusk again insisted on the role of Washington, admitting that without the support of the United States “it is difficult to imagine an effective security guarantee.”
Similarly, the Prime Minister of Denmark, Mette Frederiksen, has reiterated that the most important message of the meeting is that Europe must strengthen its defence, although like the rest of the European leaders she has stressed that it is “early” to talk about troops.
“A ceasefire may seem better than it is. We run the risk that this will not bring peace, but that Russia will use the ceasefire to mobilise, start over and attack another country,” she warned, according to Danish media.
For his part, the President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, has made it clear that there are three red lines that must be met in the imminent peace negotiations, such as involving Ukraine and the EU, that the talks strengthen the multilateral order and International Law and that they result in “a stronger European Union”.
Sánchez has argued that “a fair and lasting peace” must be achieved in Ukraine and not a “new false closure”, as already occurred with the annexation of Crimea by Moscow, and that “we could find ourselves in a few years with an even greater crisis”.
As for future security guarantees or even the deployment of troops in Ukraine once there is a peace agreement, Sánchez has warned that “we are still at war” and, therefore, the “conditions” to address this possibility are not yet met, but he has stressed that in the eventual security guarantees “there must be responsibility and solidarity from all allies.” “From all allies,” he stressed.
For her part, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has assured in a message on social networks that the meeting of European leaders has served to “reaffirm that Ukraine deserves peace through strength.” She has defended a peace that “respects independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity,” “with solid security guarantees,” stressing that Europe has to assume “fully” its share of military aid to Ukraine and increase Defense on the continent.
The heads of government of Spain, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Poland, the Netherlands and Denmark attended the meeting in Paris, hosted by Macron. The heads of the European Commission and Council, Ursula von der Leyen and António Costa, respectively, and the Secretary General of NATO, Mark Rutte, also attended.
