Macron calls European leaders to emergency meeting after US excludes them from Ukraine talks
US Secretary of State travels to Saudi Arabia to meet with Russian counterpart
BarcelonaFrench President Emmanuel Macron has summoned European leaders to Paris on Monday for an emergency meeting on Ukraine, after President Donald Trump's special envoy for the war in that country, General Keith Kellogg, announced yesterday, Saturday, within the framework of the Munich Security Conference, that The United States plans to exclude them from peace negotiations to end the conflict. The Elysee Palace has announced that it will be an "informal" meeting. However, it is nonetheless significant because of the speed with which it has been organised and the leaders who will participate.
Spanish President Pedro Sánchez has confirmed his attendance, as well as the heads of state and government of Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Poland, the Netherlands and Denmark. Also attending will be the President of the European Council, António Costa; the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the Secretary General of NATO, Mark Rutte.
In addition, the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, and the White House special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, are scheduled to arrive in Saudi Arabia on Sunday evening for initiate first contacts with Russia.
The US decision to exclude Europe from peace talks on Ukraine has been a cold shower for the European Union, which fears that Washington will reach an agreement with Moscow that would put the continent's security at risk. The agenda for Monday's meeting has not been made public, but the creation of a European army will probably be on the table, a proposal that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky launched at the Munich conference on Saturday with the aim of stopping Vladimir Putin. However, the initiative is not getting the best of some European allies. Just this Sunday, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said that it is impossible to form a European army that represents the unification of national armed forces.
The meeting will also discuss what defence capabilities Europe could offer in Ukraine to guarantee its security. Among the proposals being floated is a plan for Ukraine to automatically join NATO if Russia clearly breaches the ceasefire.
The UK as a bridge
Among the participants in the meeting called by Macron, the United Kingdom stands out, even though it left the European Union five years ago. Since the Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer has been in government, London has moved closer to Brussels and away from its historical ally, the United States, especially since Trump arrived at the White House on January 20.
In fact, Prime Minister Starmer has offered to act as a bridge between Europe and the United States in future peace talks. "The United Kingdom will work to ensure that Europe and the United States remain united. We cannot allow any division in the alliance that distracts us from the external enemies we face," he warned.
It is also striking that Denmark, which by GDP and population is not among the European powers, will participate in Monday's meeting. However, Copenhagen seems to want to join forces with the rest of the European countries after Trump expressed his desire to take control of Greenland, which is Danish territory.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to travel to Saudi Arabia on Sunday night to meet with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, as he himself confirmed in an interview on CBS News. Two of Trump's main advisors on foreign policy will also go: the White House special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, and the National Security envoy, Mike Waltz. Rubio did not specify what topics he will discuss at the meeting with Lavrov, but said that the meeting will serve to find out, "in the coming days," whether Putin is committed to peace. However, Russia continues to attack Ukraine. This Sunday it bombed the city of Mikolaiv, in the south of the country, and left 100,000 people without electricity.
"I will never accept decisions on Ukraine between the United States and Russia. Never," insisted the Ukrainian president, who denounced that he was not invited to the meeting in Saudi Arabia. However, the White House assures that it will count on Kiev for the negotiations. However, it is clear that it will exclude European countries. He justifies this by saying that, in previous peace talks between Kiev and Moscow, the participation of too many countries ruined the process.
Tears in Munich
The leaders' meeting in Paris comes just after US Vice President JD Vance booed European allies at the Munich conference. "There's a new sheriff in Washington," he told them. His words particularly affected German summit chairman Christoph Heusgen, who was unable to contain his emotions in his closing speech.
"This conference was born as a transatlantic forum, but after Vice President Vance's speech on Friday, we must fear that our common foundation of values may no longer be so common. I am very grateful to all those European politicians who have spoken out and strengthened the values and principles they are defending," he said.
"Let me conclude, this is becoming difficult for me..." Heusgen concluded, wiping tears from his eyes. The attendees gave him a resounding applause and he even received a hug.
