On Sunday, March 2, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will host the leaders of Italy, Germany, Poland, and other allies, possibly including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. They will discuss Donald Trump's peace initiative for Ukraine. Reuters writes, UNN reports.
Details
The publication notes that the US president has forced Europe to reconsider its approach to security, unexpectedly stating that European countries should increase defense spending and be responsible for their own security.
The meeting in London will take place shortly after Starmer returns from talks with Trump in Washington, D.C., scheduled for Thursday, February 27. The British prime minister hopes that his commitment to increasing the defense budget will help maintain strong relations between the two allies.
Earlier this week, French President Emmanuel Macron met with Trump as part of European efforts to persuade him not to rush a peace deal with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, to leave room for European and Ukrainian participation, and to discuss military guarantees for Kyiv.
I recognize that European allies, including the United Kingdom, must do more, and that means building capacity, improving coordination, and increasing spending,
He also added that coordination is extremely important. And he is very impressed with the lessons the EU and Britain have to learn from Ukraine on how allies can better coordinate to support Ukraine's defense capabilities.
Addendum
Starmer confirmed on Tuesday that a meeting would be held in London this weekend to discuss further joint actions by the allies in response to the situation. However, his spokesman said on Wednesday that it was too early to say who would attend the summit.
European leaders, including Starmer, held an emergency meeting in Paris earlier this month to discuss increased defense spending. However, they differed on the possibility of deploying a peacekeeping force to Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says at a press conference that he will attend the London meeting if he also visits Washington for talks with Trump on Friday.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed that he plans to join the meeting in London. He is also expected to be joined by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. According to Dutch media reports, Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof will also attend the summit.
Meanwhile, Trump has already begun negotiations with Russia on an agreement to end the war and has sharply criticized Zelenskyy. In response, European leaders stepped up their diplomatic efforts, demonstrating a unified position in support of Kyiv.
Nevertheless, European plans for security guarantees for Ukraine that would keep the peace largely depend on the willingness of the United States to provide some kind of deterrent to prevent another Russian attack.
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