(CLO) An emergency summit of top European leaders took place in Paris on Monday to discuss the Ukraine war and European security, after the US changed its policy towards the continent and is negotiating separately with Russia to end the war in Ukraine.
"Peace through strength"
The emergency meeting of European leaders agreed that Ukraine deserves “peace through strength” in its fight with Russia, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Monday.
"Today in Paris, we reaffirm that Ukraine deserves peace through strength," she posted on X. Earlier, the US special envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, said Europe would not be directly involved in the Ukraine talks, although it would still have "input".
French President Emmanuel Macron welcomes British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to attend the conference. Screenshot
Yuri Ushakov, a foreign policy adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin, said on Monday upon arriving in the Saudi capital Riyadh that talks on Ukraine would be bilateral, Russia's state news agency RIA reported.
"We came to negotiate with our American colleagues," RIA quoted Ushakov as saying. "These are bilateral talks, purely bilateral. There cannot be trilateral talks in Riyadh."
European leaders agreed at a meeting in Paris on Monday that they must engage in peace talks in Ukraine, as well as being ready to provide security guarantees to Ukraine, but that it would be dangerous to sign a ceasefire without a peace deal at the same time.
"We are ready to provide security guarantees, with modalities to be considered with each side, depending on the level of US support," a European Union official summarized the results of the meeting in Paris.
President Zelenskyy said in an interview aired on Monday that the US was trying to “please” Moscow in talks over Ukraine and warned of the “weakness” of European militaries. “They want to meet quickly and win quickly. But what they want is ‘just a ceasefire’, not victory.”
Controversy over troop deployment to Ukraine
However, three hours of emergency talks at the Elysee Palace in Paris were not enough to get the leaders of Germany, the UK, Italy, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands, Denmark, NATO and the European Union to have a common view on the possibility of deploying peacekeeping troops in Ukraine as proposed by some countries, including the UK.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called for US support while reaffirming that he was willing to consider sending British troops to Ukraine along with other forces "if there is a lasting peace deal".
However, there has been a rift with some EU countries, such as Poland, which has said it does not want its military footprint on Ukrainian soil, while French President Macron has yet to make a commitment.
Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof admitted that Europeans “need to come to a common conclusion about what we can contribute,” adding that “just sitting at the table without contributing is pointless.”
President Zelenskyy said late Monday that he had spoken with President Macron about ensuring security and achieving lasting peace in Ukraine. "We have a common vision: security must be strong and reliable," Zelenskyy said on X.
Still need “US protection” and NATO
Despite the show of unity and determination, European leaders acknowledged their dependence on the US to provide security for the EU and Ukraine. British Prime Minister Starmer said “US protection” was Ukraine’s only defense against Russia.
"I would be prepared to consider deploying British troops on the ground alongside other forces if there is a lasting peace deal, but with the support of the United States," Mr Starmer said after a European meeting in Paris.
He later confirmed an earlier statement from a government spokesman that he would travel to Washington next week to meet President Donald Trump "and discuss what we see as the key elements of a lasting peace".
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Monday that Europe was aware its relationship with the US had entered a “new phase”, after he attended an emergency security meeting in Paris.
“Everyone at this meeting knows that the transatlantic relationship, the NATO alliance and our friendship with the United States have entered a new phase. We all see that,” Mr Tusk told reporters in Paris.
Mr Tusk said there was “no reason to be angry when our US allies say spend more, be stronger, be more resilient. These words are absolutely based on reality”.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Monday that any debate about sending peacekeepers to Ukraine now was “completely premature” and “completely inappropriate” while the war was still going on.
The German leader added that Europe and the US must always act together on security. "There must be no division of security and responsibilities between Europe and the United States," Mr Scholz said in Paris. "NATO is based on us always acting together and sharing risks, thus ensuring our security. This should not be in doubt."
Hoang Hai (according to France24, DW, RIA)
Source: https://www.congluan.vn/hoi-nghi-an-ninh-khan-cap-chau-au-doan-ket-ung-ho-ukraine-van-can-my-ho-tro-post334942.html
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