PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron was set on Wednesday to host a new meeting on Ukraine in a bid to coordinate a European response to what he called an “existential threat” from Russia after a sudden policy shift in Washington.
Macron planned to speak to leaders of around 15 countries, with most taking part by video link, according to the presidency.
Last week, US President Donald Trump held a 90-minute lengthy phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin and agreed to start Ukraine peace talks immediately. Trump’s statement stunned the European Union.
Urging a coordinated response to Washington’s policy shift on Russia, Macron on Monday convened key European leaders as well as NATO and EU chiefs for emergency talks.
Several European countries including Romania and the Czech Republic were reportedly aghast at not being invited despite being strong supporters of Ukraine, with Macron convening a new meeting on Wednesday.
The French president was set to hold talks in person with Romania’s interim president Ilie Bolojan on Wednesday afternoon, the presidency said in a statement.
The two leaders then planned to take part in an “informal videoconference meeting” with other heads of state and government, the Elysee said.
The statement did not provide further details, but leaders of Belgium, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Croatia were expected to take part.
French daily Le Monde pointed to the “frustration of the European countries” that were not invited to Monday’s talks.
Sending EU troops to Ukraine
“Russia poses an existential threat to Europeans,” Macron said in an interview with French regional newspapers published on Tuesday.
He appeared open to the idea of sending forces to Ukraine but emphasised that this could take place only in the most limited fashion and away from conflict zones.
Paris was not “preparing to send ground troops, which are belligerent to the conflict”, he said.
But France was considering, along with Britain, to send “experts or even troops in limited terms, outside any conflict zone”.
Macron also tried to put a brave face on days of head-spinning US declarations, suggesting that Trump “can restart a useful dialogue” with Putin.
Speaking to reporters in Paris on February 17, UK PM Keir Starmer said he was “prepared to consider committing British forces on the ground alongside others if there is a lasting peace agreement.”‘
He added that “there must be a US backstop because a US security guarantee is the only way to effectively deter Russia from attacking Ukraine again.”
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German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said discussions over sending peacekeepers were “completely premature” and “highly inappropriate” while the war is ongoing.
Scholz added that, in his view, there should be no divide between Europe and the United States on responsibility for Ukraine’s security.
“NATO is based on the fact that we always act together and share the risk, thereby ensuring our security. This must not be called into question,” said Scholz, who added that there could be no peace agreement without Kyiv’s consent.
Last week, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth told a meeting of Ukraine’s military allies in Brussels that Washington would not deploy troops to Ukraine in any agreed peace deal and that NATO membership is not seen by the White House as part of the solution to the conflict.
