BRUSSELS — In response to increasing tensions surrounding Donald Trump’s controversial approach to the Ukraine conflict, European and global leaders are gearing up for a critical emergency summit scheduled for Wednesday in Paris. This meeting aims to establish a unified strategy to address the ongoing crisis.
Leaders convene in Paris
A select group of leaders, including representatives from France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Poland, Denmark, and the United Kingdom, convened in Paris on Monday. Their discussions were prompted by President Trump’s unexpected decision to engage in talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, leaving many allies feeling sidelined.
While the details of the upcoming summit are yet to be formally confirmed, two European officials indicated on Tuesday evening that it is likely to proceed. A spokesperson for the French government remarked, “For the time being we can’t indicate anything,” when questioned about the meeting’s status.
Expanding the dialogue
In addition to the leaders from Monday’s initial gathering, several EU nations — including Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, the Czech Republic, Greece, Finland, Romania, Sweden, and Belgium — along with NATO allies Canada and Norway, have also been invited to participate in Wednesday’s discussions, as reported by Reuters.
The initial meeting aimed to present a unified front regarding Ukraine’s future, particularly in light of growing apprehensions over Trump’s intentions. However, attempts to reach a consensus on deploying troops to oversee a potential peace agreement ultimately fell short.
Meanwhile, U.S. and Russian officials engaged in a lengthy bilateral discussion in Saudi Arabia for four and a half hours on Tuesday. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov have agreed to establish high-level negotiating teams to explore potential resolutions to the ongoing war in Ukraine. Notably, neither Ukraine nor European representatives were present at these discussions.
“For the time being we can’t indicate anything,” said a French government spokesperson when asked about the meeting.