In the rapidly developing Ukraine ceasefire negotiations led by the United States and Russia, Europe feels effectively excluded and is beginning to respond. According to AFP and BBC reports, French President Emmanuel Macron has decided to hold an emergency meeting in Paris on the 17th (local time), inviting key world leaders.
The Guardian reported that leaders from the UK, Germany, Italy, Poland, and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg have been invited to this meeting. The British Prime Minister’s Office announced that Prime Minister Keir Starmer will carry the message from this meeting when he visits the United States later this month for talks with President Donald Trump.
This meeting is seen as a direct reflection of Europe’s anxiety and urgency due to the rapidly changing attitude of the United States following the regime change. The U.S. has led ceasefire negotiations with Russia directly, prioritizing its own interests and sidelining Europe, which could impact Europe’s long-term security regarding Ukraine.
The meeting is expected to discuss Europe’s response to the Trump administration’s apparent exclusion of Europe from ceasefire negotiations, Ukraine’s potential NATO membership, and security guarantees for Ukraine after the conflict, including possible troop deployments. Observers outside Europe are concerned about how much of the “security bill” Europe can bear regarding the ceasefire in Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has also urged that it’s time for Europe to establish its own military. Although President Trump has consistently warned against Europe’s “free-riding” on security, stating that the U.S. will not continue spending on Europe’s security, Europe has yet to respond quickly.
Jack Watling, a Senior Research Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in the UK, wrote in a Guardian op-ed on the 16th, “If you want peace, you must invest in the military to maintain peace,” adding, “Europe has the money. What’s unclear is whether Ukraine’s European partner countries, including the UK, are willing to spend it.”
This meeting highlights the tensions and potential shifts in security dynamics as Europe reassesses its role in the Ukraine conflict amidst changing U.S. foreign policy.