European Leaders’ Meeting in Paris on Ukraine: Unity vs Disunity

The meeting on Monday, hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron, brought together the heads of government from Denmark, Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, the United Kingdom and Italy.

Also present were European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and European Council President António Costa.

According to the Élysée Palace, the summit aimed to “gather partners interested in peace and security in Europe,” with discussions potentially continuing “in other formats.”

But while the participation of Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk highlights his country’s ongoing support for Ukraine, some EU leaders criticized the exclusive nature of the Paris meeting, arguing it risks undermining European unity.

Luxembourg’s Prime Minister Luc Frieden told Bloomberg, “I don’t mind that some countries are meeting if they are discussing military matters […], but it would be much better if we met as a group of 27.

Slovenian President Nataša Pirc Musar echoed similar concerns, warning that the summit’s format “sends a bad message” by suggesting a weakening of EU consensus on Ukraine.

“Despite the fact that most European countries have always stood and continue to stand with Ukraine, Europe has become vulnerable to attacks,” she said.

Other Topics of Interest

Captured North Korean POW Wishes to See His Widowed Mother

One of the North Korean soldiers captured by Kyiv shared details about his personal life and battlefield experience in a recent interview.

The summit follows discussions at the Munich Security Conference, where U.S. officials expressed skepticism about Europe’s role in peace negotiations for Ukraine.

European leaders are expected to address two key demands from U.S. President Donald Trump: increased defense spending and potential European deployment in Ukraine following a ceasefire. However, European officials insist that Ukraine must be directly involved in any peace talks.

Notably absent from the Paris discussions is Hungary, which has been critical of European military support for Ukraine.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó dismissed the summit as a gathering of “frustrated” and “pro-war” leaders, adding that Budapest views Trump’s direct engagement with Russian President Vladimir Putin as a more viable path to peace.

See the original here.