The French President Emmanuel Macron called for an emergency meeting of European leaders which includes the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Keir Starmer on Saturday night. This was caused over concerns of how Trump was inserting himself to Ukraine peace talks. At a Munich security conference, Radoslaw Sikorski has stated that he was very “glad that President Macron has called our leaders to Paris,” to discuss the challenges posed by Trump. He continued by expressing that he considers that Trump operates through “razvedka boyem,” which is where you push and then see what happens. After that, you change your position. Sikorski has stated Europe needs to respond to this. This convention is likely to be held on February 17th which is ironically President’s day in the United States. They are likely to discuss the future of Ukraine joining NATO ,and what Macron believed to be the United States trying to exclude Europe out of peace talks in Ukraine. Downing Street confirmed that Keir Stramer would be there at the meeting. He will then meet with Trump regarding concerns raised at the meeting. It is believed that Macron invited the leaders of Italy, Germany, the UK, Poland, and NATO secretary general Mark Rutte. Stramer has commented that it is important for the United States and Europe to keep having a good relationship ,so they could focus on the threat of Russia. He continued that the UK would try to ensure that the United States and Eruope would have this good relationship. Macron’s haste shows that there is growing anxiety in Europe over the United States’ involvement in the Russian-Ukraine war. Even the United Kingdom who is not in the European Union is being drawn in to making a combined response with the rest of Europe.
The United States’s envoy Keith Kellog has stated that it was not realistic for European leaders to not have a say in the peace talks. He wants Europe to ramp up defense spending. He continued that he believes that previous peace talks failed because too many countries were involved in the peace negotiations. It has also been reported that the United States asked European countries for troops to make a peace keeping force. A European Diplomat said that ““it appears Europe is going to be asked to police a deal that it had no direct hand in negotiating. In the meantime, Donald Trump is seeking to take 50% control of Ukraine’s rare minerals”.
This anxiety was intensified by the United States and Russia having peace talks in Saudi Arabia on February 15th. These peace talks are being headed by Secretary of State Marc Rubio, National Security adviser Mike Waltz, and envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff. This comes after Trump spoke to Putin and Zelenskyy about beginning negotiations to end the war. According to Trump, these negotiations had gone well with them agreeing to “work together, very closely, including visiting each other’s Nations”. Keith Kellog has also confirmed that Ukraine will also be at the peace talks with the United States and Russia.
Written by Samarth Irani
