Disarnsed by American-Russian dialogue on Ukraine, the leaders of European keystands, united in emergency this Monday, February 17 in Paris, urged the United States to remain involved in security in Europe, and tried to speak With one voice despite their divisions on sending peacekeeping troops.
High Russian and American officials must meet this Tuesday in Saudi Arabia for talks intended, according to Moscow, to restore bilateral relations, set the beginnings of negotiations on Ukraine and a meeting between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. Ukrainians and Europeans fear being released by Washington, who could seek an agreement with Russia in their “back”.
Info to remember
⇒ The main European leaders were yesterday in Paris for a meeting in Ukraine
⇒ Emmanuel Macron wants “strong security guarantees” for “sustainable” peace
⇒ Saudi Arabia welcomes an American-Russian meeting to prepare the Trump-Putin summit
7:45 am
American-Russian meeting in Saudi Arabia
High American and Russian officials, led by the heads of diplomacy, meet this Tuesday in Ryad. The meeting, the first at this level and in such a format since the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, must take place in the Saudi capital during the morning, said an official of the American delegation under cover of anonymity.
On the American side, the Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who arrived in Ryad on this, participate in it where he spoke with the Crown Prince Mohammed Ben Salmane, as well as the National Security Advisor to the American President, Mike Waltz, and the Special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff. Russia will be represented by the chief of his diplomacy Sergei Lavrov and Iouri Ouchakov, the diplomatic advisor to Vladimir Putin, according to the Russian presidency.
Donald Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, assured Brussels on Monday that the United States would not impose an agreement in kyiv to end the war. He must go to kyiv himself on Thursday. The Ryad meeting “will be mainly devoted to the restoration of all Russian-American relations,” spokesman for the Russian presidency Dmitri Peskov said on Monday. According to him, she “will also be devoted to the preparation of possible negotiations on the Ukrainian settlement (conflict) and to the organization of a meeting between the two presidents” Putin and Trump.
07:30
Europeans strive to find the unit
Admission of Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, all participants took note of a “new phase” of the relationship with the United States at the meeting held yesterday in Paris. “Europe is ready and has the desire to strengthen itself, to take the initiative to provide security guarantees to Ukraine,” said Mark Rutte, NATO secretary general, after the Emergency meeting, stressing that this was what he “held” from this meeting at the invitation of the French president Emmanuel Macron.
However, there are divisions between states concerning the sending of troops to Ukrainian soil. Keir Starmer, who will go next week to see Donald Trump in Washington and would like to play a facilitator role between the United States and Europeans, said he was ready on Sunday to send forces to Ukraine. “I am ready to envisage a commitment from the British forces on the ground alongside others if a sustainable peace agreement is concluded,” said British Prime Minister Keir Starmer after the meeting of more than three hours at the ‘Elysium. “But there must be support from the United States because a security guarantee from the United States is the only way to effectively dissuade Russia from attacking Ukraine again,” he warned.
This debate is “highly inappropriate” and “premature”, on the other hand protested the German Chancellor on Monday, “a little irritated” to see him arise now. Donald Tusk, a strong support from kyiv, also said that Poland would not deploy soldiers.
07:20
Emmanuel Macron wants “strong security guarantees” for a “sustainable” peace
Emmanuel Macron said this Tuesday morning that “sustainable” peace in Ukraine was to be accompanied by “strong and credible security guarantees”, after telephone calls with Trump and Zelensky presidents. “We want a solid and lasting peace in Ukraine. To this end, Russia must stop its assault and this must be accompanied by strong and credible security guarantees for Ukrainians,” he wrote on X at the end of a meeting in Paris of European leaders. “Otherwise the risk would be to see this cease-fire ending like the Minsk agreements,” he added. A reference to the 2014 and 2015 pacts with a view to a cease-fire that had not put an end to the confrontations between the Ukrainian army and the separatists supported by Moscow in eastern Ukraine.
The call with Volodymyr Zelensky took place after Emmanuel Macron organized an emergency meeting in Paris with European leaders to discuss the response to the radical change in the United States on Ukraine initiated by President Donald Trump. After this call, the Ukrainian president said on X that Emmanuel Macron had informed him of discussions with European leaders and that they shared a “common vision” in the manner of achieving peace.