The French president, Emmanuel Macron, was on Saturday night seeking to convene an emergency meeting of European leaders, including the UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, as concerns grew over Donald Trump’s attempts to seize control of the Ukraine peace process.
[…]
The meeting, likely to be held on Monday, is expected to discuss US efforts to exclude European leaders from the peace talks, the position Europe should adopt on Ukraine’s future membership of Nato and how Ukraine can be offered security guarantees, either through Nato or some European force.Downing Street confirmed on Saturday it had heard about the proposed meeting and officials made clear that Starmer would attend and take messages from the meeting to Washington this week, when he will meet President Trump. UK sources said they believed those invited to Paris by Macron would be the Nato secretary general, Mark Rutte, and the leaders of Germany, Italy, the UK and Poland.
Starmer said: “This is a once-in-a-generation moment for our national security where we engage with the reality of the world today and the threat we face from Russia. It’s clear Europe must take a greater role in Nato as we work with the United States to secure Ukraine’s future and face down the threat we face from Russia. The UK will work to ensure we keep the US and Europe together. We cannot allow any divisions in the alliance to distract from the external enemies we face.”
Macron’s speed in trying to unite European leaders behind a joint response shows the extent of anxiety in Europe about US efforts both to control the process and exclude European governments from any detailed negotiations between the US and Russia.
The prospect of Starmer’s involvement also highlights how the UK prime minister is becoming drawn into a European response, despite the UK having left the EU. With European leaders expected to convene in Paris, it is anticipated that Russian and US officials will meet in Saudi Arabia this week to map out what they intend to be the peace process.
Politicians on the radio already saying they will need to cut welfare budgets to pay for “defence” increases!
Big bonuses on the way for bosses of arms companies everywhere and dividends galore for investers. Whatever happens all this pantomiming will only benefit the already excessively wealthy.
He’s been consistently right on this and much better than any of the alternatives in or out of Labour except Ed Davey, who has the same attitude and so deserves the same (qualified) praise.
Goddamn, how many times did the Guardian change the headline on this?
Until these pedons start clicking at fast enough rate… They do this shit with YouTube too… Fucking disgusting.
I thought Macron was cosy to Putin before the war?
Before the war a lot of things were different.
Most of Europe was too cosy with him, and thats all gone now its clear appeasement / containment / dragging Russia in the west culturally has utterly failed. The entire northern hemisphere seems to be in the initial stages of realigning into 3 great blocks.
And judging by history, those who stand outside them will be crushed between them.
North Korea deployed 10k troops in support of Russia… Can EU even muster 10k troops in any cohesive manner? Or is that going to take several meetings and 6 month of fake news propaganda?
If EU wants to be fucking treated like a global power, maybe they should start acting like one.
Britain, Poland, and Germany all sent at least that number each to one exercise last year, so they’re definitely capable of putting the troops in place
All of free world can’t muster up what North Korea did for Russia 🤡
That’s the lesson here.
Except it literally did muster up several times that for just an exercise. What it needs to do now is actually decide to send it to Ukraine. The capacity exists, what does not (yet) is the intent
What it needs to do now is actually decide to send it to Ukraine.
Listen man… EU gonna do three more sumits this year on ukraine, then some thoughts and prayers, then under deliver artillery shells.
Maybe they will discuss entering the wat next year once Dnipro is about to fall…
I am tired of hearing these mythology about EU capabilities.
Either demploy or STFU… Endless talkign just looks pathetic
I agree, your talking looks pathetic.
U mad?
The EU isn’t a global power, thats a major part of why this happened in the first place.
That its clearly in Europes interests to become a unified state that can do things like send its own large 1st rate army to defend its borders will be one of the major consequences of this war. It will light a fire under federation efforts.
North Korea is a country of 30m people with economy the size of Bulgaria…
EU can’t seem to get its act together.
What does that have to do with anything? Wars aren’t won by the number of bodies on the front, they haven’t been since ww2.
It matters because Russia a strong country got allies to help it fight its war.
EU is a shit ally… But surely do love mocking Koreans 🤡
So, Make Brexit Work, and Keep The US And Europe Together?
What does this even mean? 🧐
Sounds like someone trying to be clever and missing the mark by a long long way.
deleted by creator
Separating from the US only plays into pootin’s hands. US needs some time to first clear out its Russian infiltration problems.
Mate, Brexit was a shit move and isn’t working.
