Europe’s Red Carpet for Zelensky in London
Europe’s Red Carpet for Zelensky in London
Ukraine Europe Tries Again Without Trump
France and Britain Proposed a One-Month Ceasefire, Starmer: We Are at a Crossroads in History. A One-Month Ceasefire and Then a Coalition of Volunteers in Case of a Peace Agreement, Which in Any Case Must Only Be Achieved with Kyiv at the Negotiating Table.
These Are the Points on Which European Countries Are Trying to Build a Structure to Preserve Ukraine’s Security and Sovereignty After the Painful Rift Revealed in the White House.
We Have Agreed That Britain, France, and Others Will Work with Ukraine on a Plan to Stop the War, Said Keir Starmer. We Will Then Present That Plan to the United States and Move Forward Together.
He Clarified That the Purpose of This Meeting Was to Bring Together Our Partners to Strengthen Ukraine and Support a Just and Lasting Peace. We Must Start by Putting Ukraine in the Strongest Possible Position So It Can Negotiate from a Position of Strength. A Total of 19 Leaders Joined Their Upcoming Summit in the British Capital.
In Addition to Volodymyr Zelensky and European Representatives and Leaders, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Were Also Present.
From Lancaster House, Starmer Announced That a New Budget Worth 2 Billion Euros Has Been Allocated to Strengthen Ukraine’s Air Defense and Called on Those Present to Unite. Europe Is at a Historical Crossroads and Must Step Forward and Unite Around a New Plan for a Just and Lasting Peace. He Added to Reporters, If We Want to Preserve Peace, We Must Be Ready to Defend It.
The Spread of Disaster Worldwide
The London Meeting Took Place While the Shock from the Friday Afternoon Clash in the Oval Office of the White House Was Still Felt, Where President Donald Trump and His Deputy JD Vance Attacked Zelensky.
What Was Supposed to Be a Face-to-Face Meeting to Reach an Agreement About Ukraine’s Mineral Reserves That Would Strengthen Washington’s Support for Kyiv in Potential Negotiations with Russia Turned into an Unprecedented Diplomatic Disaster. In Front of the Astonished Eyes of Those Present, the American President and His Deputy Reminded the Ukrainian Leader in a Harsh Tone That He Was in a Weak Position in the Negotiations and Criticized Him for Not Appreciating America’s Help.
After 40 Minutes of Live Debate on Global Television, the Agreement Was Canceled, and the Ukrainian Delegation Was Asked to Leave the White House.
Zelensky Appeared Shortly After on Fox News to Apologize to the American People but Did Not Apologize to the American President.
In Washington, Trump’s Loyalists Welcomed His Change of Position and Harshly Criticized the Ukrainian President, Who Had Asked Trump for Strong Security Guarantees to Dissuade Russia, Which Launched Its Large-Scale Attack in February 2022, from Violating the Ceasefire in the Future.
Trump Is Closer to Putin
According to the Washington Post, This Encounter Has Exposed the Growing Rift Between Europe and the Trump Administration, Which Now Threatens to Cut Support for Ukraine at One of Kyiv’s Most Critical and Vulnerable Moments Since the Start of the War.
Even Before Trump Expelled the Ukrainian Delegation from the White House, the New Administration Had Gradually Shown Its Distance from Its Allies. In Early February, Trump Contacted Vladimir Putin and Announced His Intent to Normalize Relations with Him.
Since Then, and on Several Occasions, His Officials Have Shown Their Willingness to Accept Many of the Kremlin’s Demands Regarding Ukraine, While This Major Businessman Has Called Zelensky a Dictator and Expressed Hope That He Will Be Removed from Office.
Last Week, on the Occasion of the Third Anniversary of the U.S. Attack, Along with Moscow, They Voted Against a UN Resolution Supported by Kyiv and Europe. This Resolution Condemned Russia’s Aggression and Called for the Return of Occupied Ukrainian Territories.
U.S. Efforts to End Moscow’s Isolation Also Form the Basis of a Plan to Relaunch the Nord Stream 2 Pipeline, Which Connects Russia to Germany and Is Pursued by the Russians with the Support of American Investors.
Trump Is Also Trying to Use His Closer Relations with Russia to Create a Division Between Moscow and Beijing.
He Believes That If Russia Distances Itself from China, It Could Benefit the United States Because a Strong Alliance Between Russia and China Could Pose a Serious Threat to American and Western Interests.
In the Past, Trump Was Worried About the Close Relations Between China and Russia and Tried to Exert Pressure on Moscow by Getting Closer to Putin to Reduce Its Relations with China. This Strategy Could Help Strengthen the Position of the United States on the Global Stage Because a United Front Between Russia and China Could Create More Power Against the West.
Rebuilding Yes, But How?
While There Are Still Many Issues Regarding Europe’s Defense, at Least Concerning Ukraine, the London Meeting Had Immediate Results. Gideon Rachman Says London, by Warmly Welcoming Zelensky Among European Leaders, Made It Clear That the Ukrainian Leader and His Country Are Not Alone.
But More Importantly, Starmer and Macron May Have Temporarily Taken the Diplomatic Initiative from Trump and Putin.
By Announcing That European Countries Will Work with Ukraine on a Peace Proposal That Will Then Be Presented to the United States, They Have Made It Harder for Trump to Consider This as a Matter to Be Negotiated Solely Between the U.S. and Russia.
After Paris and London, Europeans Will Gather on Thursday in Brussels to Address Another Agenda Item: European Security. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz Announced on Sunday That the Meeting Will Focus on How We Can Do More for Our Defense.
This Question Is Becoming a Serious Concern Every Day in European Capitals, Where There Is Fear of a Sudden and Disruptive Lack of Commitment from the United States to the European Continent. The European Union Is Working on a Plan to Rebuild Armaments, the Details of Which Were Shared on Monday, March 3rd, by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen with Member States.
But It Is Clear That This Will Not Be Easy.
America’s Allies Across the European Union and Beyond Urgently Need an Alternative Option for Collective Security in a World Where the U.S. Government Now Seems to Prefer Putin Over Zelensky.
The Extraordinary Meeting of European Union Leaders, Which Will Be Held This Thursday in Brussels, Will Collectively Examine the Options and Also Answer the Question of Whether and to What Extent What Was Previously Discussed in Paris and Then in London Can Be Implemented in the Form of 27 Countries or in the Name of 27 Countries.
In Fact, Hungary and Slovakia Were Not Invited to Previous Meetings, Just as the Four Neutral Union Countries Ireland, Austria, Malta, and Cyprus Were Not Invited, While Romania and the Czech Republic Are on the Verge of Sensitive Electoral Deadlines.
The New Sanctions Against Moscow, the Sixteenth Package Since 2022, Which Is Now Finalized, Must Be Approved Unanimously, and Even the Use of European Union or Joint Financial Resources to Provide Military Equipment to Kyiv Requires a Certain Level of Agreement Among Partners.
Regarding the Possibility, Which Is Still Being Discussed Informally, of Sending a European Security Guarantee Force to Ukraine After a Possible Future Ceasefire, It Is No Secret That the Number of Countries Willing to Follow Britain and France Is Still Small, As Starmer Has Also Pointed Out, and What Macron Stated Yesterday in an Interview with Le Figaro—That the Ceasefire Being Discussed Will Be One Month and Will Not Include Ground Conflicts—Certainly Has Not Helped Increase the Number of Countries Supporting This Plan.
Many of These Points Clearly Depend on the Framework, Context, and Conditions in Which This Potential Coalition of Volunteers Can Be Deployed.
But It Is Equally Clear That What Some Have Called the Virtual Coalition of Dissenters Also Exists, Although Driven by Different Motivations, Which Can Make This Initiative More Difficult or Less Credible. An Initiative That, at the Same Time, Could Be the Core of the Future European Army That Many Are Talking About Today.
Former British Prime Minister Harold Wilson Used to Say That a Week in Politics Is a Very Long Time, and from Now Until Thursday, Many Things Can Still Happen Both in Brussels and in Washington. But as Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk Pointedly and Perhaps a Bit Self-Critically Mentioned, It Is Certainly Thought-Provoking That 500 Million Europeans Still Ask 300 Million Americans to Defend Them Against 140 Million Russians.