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European countries clashed by sending troops to Ukraine as they held a crisis conference aimed at reaching a consensus on how to respond to President Donald Trump's peace talks with Russia.
When leaders were convened in Paris for an emergency meeting on Monday afternoon, Germany, Poland and Spain went to war-torn countries just hours after Britain offered to “put their boots on the ground.” He reluctantly reluctant to send peacekeeping forces.
Monday's meeting, which cited plans to help European countries promote defence spending, was hosted by President Emmanuel Macron, attended by six countries, UK, NATO and EU officials.
Macron and Trump spoke just before the Paris Summit.
The US European allies are competing to respond to the president's shocking announcement of a meeting with Russia, which is scheduled to begin in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.
The Kremlin welcomed discussions in Riyadh, not including Ukraine, as a step towards restoring full bilateral relations and ending the war.
However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday that Kyiv is not aware of the outcome of the negotiations that were excluded. Trump envoy to Ukraine Keith Kellogg later said he would impose a decision on Zelensky as “no one” and “an elected leader of a sovereign nation.”
Three officials who explained preparations for Monday's meeting in Paris said France proposed to discuss the “feeling power” placed behind it, not Ukraine's future ceasefire line.
British Prime Minister Kiel Starmer said he was “pleasant and ready.” . .[to put]Our own army on the ground if necessary, other countries are much more reluctant.
German Prime Minister Olaf Scholz, facing a national election on Sunday, maintained years of attention on the deployment of the forces, saying the debate was premature.
“The problem now is how we can ensure peace without decisions being made on the heads of the people of Ukrainians,” he said before the meeting.
“Now no one is thinking of sending troops to Ukraine,” said Jose Manuel Alvarez, Spanish Foreign Minister. “Peace is still very far away, for just one reason. Vladimir Putin.”
He added that deployment of forces or peacekeeping force discussions “must consider which missions, who constitute it, under which flags, what missions will involve.”
Poland has seen a significant increase in defence spending since the war began, and is usually relatively hawks, but Prime Minister Donald Tassau said he is not ready to send troops to Ukraine.
“But we will support countries that want to provide such assurances in the future, from a logistics and political support perspective,” Tusk added.
“If Europeans fail to spend a lot of money on defense now, they will be forced to spend another ten times more if they don't prevent a wider war,” he said.
Monday's meeting was set to discuss funding for increased European defence spending and increased military capabilities through potentially joint borrowing or what the French call other “innovative funding” methods. Ta.
Although Germany and the Netherlands have opposed such a move, Macron has long sought to engage in common borrowing to reduce dependence on US military and weapons.
The dramatic changes in the US's attitude towards Ukraine have quickly evolved the position of European leaders.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Friday that the capital would propose to allow temporary relaxation of the bloc's rules on deficits for defence spending.
After the meeting, Scholz also approved the idea of an “escape clause” for the EU deficit rules, but stopped supporting general borrowing.
The priorities are also working to set up a “path” for UK defence spending to reach 2.5% of GDP.
Speaking to journalists before traveling to Paris, the British Prime Minister said: “This is not just the frontline of Ukraine. It's the frontline of Europe and the UK. It's about our national security and I think we need to do more.”
Reports by Leila Abwud and Ben Hall in Paris, Henry Foy in Brussels, Rafael Minder in Warsaw, Bernie Jopson in Madrid, Laura Pitel in Berlin and George Parker in London.
