France is planning to organize a second emergency meeting to discuss Ukraine and European security, which will take place on 19 February, according to Reuters.
On 12 February, Trump announced the start of negotiations with Moscow to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, following calls with Russian ruler Vladimir Putin. His statement triggered a wave of criticism, as experts warned that it could be a ceasefire on Putin’s terms with a lack of security guarantees for Ukraine, especially after US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth called Ukraine’s NATO membership aspirations “unrealistic.” This conversation also stirred concerns in Europe, as its representatives were not involved in the negotiations. Amid uncertainty about whether the US will lead to a weakening of NATO due to its increasingly isolationist stance, many media outlets and analysts have labeled this strategy as a victory for Russia.
Two diplomatic sources revealed that more European countries and NATO’s ally Canada have been invited to the new meeting.
According to them, invitations were extended to Norway, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Czech Republic, Greece, Finland, Romania, Sweden, and Belgium.
Additionally, the report noted that some countries may participate in the meeting via video conference.
On 15 February, French President Emmanuel Macron called an emergency summit of European leaders to discuss the situation in Europe following recent statements by the administration of US President Donald Trump.
After the event, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a phone conversation with French President Macron.
The European leaders’ summit in Paris discussed global issues, the situation in Europe, and security guarantees for Ukraine.
“We have a shared vision: there must be reliable, strong security guarantees. Any other solution without such guarantees, such as a fragile ceasefire, would only be another deception from Russia and a prelude to a new Russian war against Ukraine or other European countries,” said Zelenskyy after the phone call with Macron.
Read also:
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- Zelenskyy: Ukraine will not legally recognize its occupied territries as part of Russia
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