European Leaders Hold 2nd Meeting Led by Paris... Macron Says "Hard to Understand Trump's Logic"

Video Conference Held with Leaders Not Invited to the First Meeting on the 17th

A second informal European meeting, led by France, was held on the 19th (local time) to respond to the 'Europe passing' in the Ukraine ceasefire negotiations.

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

French President Emmanuel Macron held a video conference at 4 p.m. at the ?lys?e Palace with European leaders and NATO allies including the Canadian Prime Minister. The second meeting was urgently convened after leaders who were not invited to the first meeting on the 17th expressed dissatisfaction. It is estimated that leaders from Norway, Sweden, Finland, Greece, Ireland, the three Baltic states, the Czech Republic, Belgium, Portugal, Croatia, Slovenia, and others attended via video conference.

President Macron is expected to share the discussions from the first meeting with these leaders and jointly explore measures to guarantee the security of Ukraine and Europe. In a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) after the meeting on the 17th, President Macron stated, "We want a firm and lasting peace for Ukraine. This must be accompanied by strong and reliable security guarantees for the Ukrainian people."

President Macron also responded to former U.S. President Donald Trump's claim that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky bears responsibility for the war by saying he "cannot understand" it. Sophie Primas, spokesperson for the French government, said in a briefing after the cabinet meeting that when asked about President Macron's reaction to Trump's remarks, "President Macron referred to Trump's diverse and often difficult-to-understand positions," adding, "He does not fully understand this American logic," criticizing it.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen also addressed related questions at a press conference, stating, "Ukraine did not start any war and did not want any war." She emphasized that Russia is "the only aggressive party."

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg appeared to be trying to reassure President Zelensky. He announced via X that he had a phone call with President Zelensky in the afternoon, met with U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia Kurt Volker, and conveyed the results of the informal European leaders' meeting in Paris, France. He explained the discussions on "how to contribute to lasting peace and how we can ensure Ukraine remains strong until the end."