European Leaders Hold Emergency Meeting in Paris on 17th Over Ukraine Negotiation 'Passing'

Macron to Host Informal Talks with UK, Germany, and Others
NATO Secretary General Also Invited

Europe, effectively excluded from the rapidly progressing Ukraine ceasefire negotiations led by the United States and Russia, is making desperate efforts to have its voice heard.

Emmanuel Macron, President of France. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

According to AFP and BBC, French President Emmanuel Macron announced on the 17th (local time) that he will hold an informal emergency meeting in Paris, inviting leaders of major countries.

Leaders from the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands, Denmark, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and European Council President Ant?nio Costa were invited. An EU official confirmed von der Leyen's attendance and said that as a result, the meeting between von der Leyen and Keith Kellogg, the U.S. President's special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, was postponed to the following day, the 18th.

At the informal meeting of European leaders in Paris, it is expected that Europe's response to the Trump administration, which seems to be excluding Europe from the ceasefire negotiations, Ukraine's NATO membership, and post-war security guarantees for Ukraine including troop deployment plans will be discussed. Additionally, besides ways to place Ukraine in a favorable position in the negotiations, concrete plans to guarantee European defense even without future U.S. involvement are expected to be discussed. A European diplomat told The Guardian, "Europe will be asked to play the role of police over the resulting agreement despite not being able to directly intervene in the negotiations," adding, "President Trump is demanding a 50% stake in Ukraine's rare minerals."

Voices within Europe are also calling for presenting practical alternatives to negotiate with President Trump if Europe wants to make its voice heard against the U.S. Secretary General Rutte said during the Munich Security Conference the day before that Europe needs to come up with a "good proposal" for Ukraine's security guarantees, stating, "If Europe wants to gain a voice, it needs to become more meaningful."

Prime Minister Starmer said regarding this meeting, "This is a once-in-a-generation moment for our national security against today's global realities and the threat from Russia," adding, "It is clear that Europe must take on a greater role in NATO." He especially urged to mend the shaky relationship between the U.S. and Europe, saying, "We must not let divisions within the alliance distract us from facing our external enemies."

Inside and outside Europe, there is a consistent view that the key issue is how much of the "security bill" resulting from the Ukraine ceasefire Europe can bear. U.S. envoy Kellogg repeatedly pressured Europe at the Munich Security Conference the day before, saying, "Instead of complaining about whether to sit at the negotiating table, you need to prepare concrete proposals and ideas and increase defense spending."

Secretary General Rutte also told AFP that the summit in Paris will "focus on defense spending so that it becomes clear what parts Europe can contribute if the Ukraine negotiations are concluded."

The problem is whether Europe can bear defense costs as much as the U.S. demands. President Trump has consistently warned that the U.S. will not spend money on Europe's security, citing Europe's "free-riding" on security, but Europe's response has not been swift. Jack Watling, senior researcher at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in the UK, wrote in The Guardian on the 16th, "If you want peace, you have to invest in the military that maintains peace," pointing out, "Europe has the money. What is unclear is whether Ukraine's European partner countries, including the UK, are willing to spend that money."

Bloomberg reported that Europe is preparing new military reinforcement measures such as increasing defense spending, expected to be announced after Germany's general election on the 23rd of this month. There is concern that if European countries do not quickly present military support measures as President Trump rushes negotiations, Ukraine may be forced into a "disastrous" ceasefire agreement.