Donald Trump plays his game with Vladimir Putin to end the war between Ukraine and Russia. Kiev is looking for shores in Europe, while the old continent risks being spectator in American driving negotiations. The prospect of a negotiation on the Washington-Mosca axis excludes Europe from the table that matters. To run for cover, French President Emmanuel Macron would have summoned European leaders For an emergency summit in Paris on Monday, according to what is anticipated by the Polish Foreign Minister, Radoslaw Sikorski, from the stage of the Munich conference on the security of Munich.
The summit wanted by Macron
In the absence of an official press release by the Elysée, the summit format is not yet clear and which leaders will participate, with the exception of the Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, whose presence was confirmed by Sikorski himself in a post on social media following the panel.
The Polish Foreign Minister said he was “happy” that Macron convened leaders in Paris. “I expect to face the issue of defense expenditure with extreme seriousness. One of the comments of President Macron was that we cannot limit ourselves to buying defense from the outside, it has a very strong opinion on the need to buy more European defense”. The French counterpart Jean-Noël Barrot, a member of the same panel, did not mention the emergency summit nor react to the words of Sikorski.
Zelensky: “Europe must have its army”
The Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky also tries to shake Europe. “We cannot exclude that America can say no to Europe on issues that threaten it. Many, many leaders have spoken of A Europe that needs its own army. An army of Europe. And I firmly believe that the moment has come. The European Armed Forces must be created, “says Kiev’s leader from the stage of the Security Conference.
Zelensky’s exhortation is “to act, for your good and for the good of Europe, for the peoples of Europe, for your nations, your houses, your children and our future common. It is not just To increase the expense for the defense in relation to GDP “, he continues, underlining that the money, however important,” will not stop by an enemy assault “. Without the Ukrainian army, he explains, European ones “will not be enough to stop Russia. This is today’s reality. Only our army in Europe has a real modern combat experience”.
Conversely, the Ukrainian army needs what Europe can provide: “Weapons, training, penalties, funding, political pressure and unity. We already have the foundations for a united European military force. And now, while we fight this war e We throw the foundations for peace and security, we must build the armed forces of Europe so that the future of the continent depends only on the Europeans. Part of the American military presence in Europe with Ukrainian forces in the plan presented last autumn.
Zelensky will welcome Trump’s correspondent for Ukraine to Kiev next week, Keith Kellogg. “We must stop the killings. First of all, we must define the timing. Ukraine is part of this conflict. And therefore, the two parties in conflict must decide to cease fire. Ukrainians are involved in this decision,” says Kellogg, guaranteeing That the United States will continue to support Kiev: “But the war must end immediately”.
The time horizon for the definitive closure of the conflict would be 6 months: “180 days to involve the parties”. With US and European mediation. “The answer is no – says Kellogg to journalists who ask if Ukrainians and European will be directly at the table – I think it will not happen”. The positions of Europe will however be taken into consideration, assures the retired American general.