European leaders met in Paris for emergency talks after Washington’s surprise policy change on Ukraine, which has rocked the transatlantic alliance. The summit, called by French President Emmanuel Macron, gathered senior European leaders and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to discuss increasing doubt about US security guarantees.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer emphasized the need for a US security guarantee before European nations commit to sending peacekeeping forces to Ukraine postwar. “Europe must play its role, and I’m prepared to consider deploying British forces alongside others if a lasting peace agreement is reached. But there must be a US backstop only American security assurances can effectively deter Russia from future aggression,” Starmer stated.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk admitted that transatlantic relations have moved into a “new phase,” an indication that the strategic direction of Europe is changing. “All of us here understand that NATO, our relationship with America, and transatlantic relations have changed. We must accept this fact,” Tusk said.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz highlighted asking for a joint security policy from Europe and America. “There can be no division of responsibility among us. NATO is collective security, and that has to remain unchallenged,” he said. But he shut down the discourse of peacekeeping troops in Ukraine as “premature” and “highly inappropriate” while the war rages on.
Macron had invited Trump prior to the summit but no information on the 20-minute call was provided. Germany, the UK, Italy, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands, Denmark, and EU leaders had discussed the future path as Europe’s security was tested and there was doubt over Washington’s long-term policy.
