How the negotiations of the leaders of the EU and Ukraine in London ended
The leaders of the leading European states held a summit on Sunday in London to determine their strategy in the conditions of the most acute conflict within the Western community after the Second World War. British Prime Minister Cyrus Starmer became an intermediary between the United States and its allies, who dispersed in assessments after a failed visit to the White House of the President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky. According to the results of the meeting, the leaders of the Western world did not decide how to preserve the former coalition taking into account the unwillingness of the United States to continue the conflict with Russia. According to the press secretary of Vladimir Putin Dmitry Peskov, « the new US foreign policy configurations are largely coincided with Russian. » In turn, the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov recalled that in “over the past 500 years, all the tragedies of the world have arisen in Europe”, and the United States “were not instigators”.
« Historical scandal »which erupted in the oval office of the White House during the meeting of the President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky with the American President Donald Trump, did not dot the I in the relations of the new US administration with Kiev. The conflict in front of the whole world also gave rise to new questions about the possibility of further interaction between the United States and their Western allies.
The President of Zelensky himself demonstrated the ability to quickly come to his senses after a heavy knockdown in the oval office.
Before departure from the United States, in an interview with Fox News, the Ukrainian leader did not look confused, refused to apologize for his actions in the White House and did not admit that he did something wrong at a meeting with President Trump.
The rapid change of political scenery occurred on Saturday evening. The Ukrainian president who arrived from Washington to London went to Dauning Street, 10 to negotiations with British Prime Minister Kir Stalmher. As the TV channel notes Sky NewsCyrus Starmer violated the London protocol tradition and not only waited for the guest on the threshold of his residence, but went to meet him and hugged him.
“You have full support in the UK, we will be with you and Ukraine as long as you need,” Kir Starmer assured Vladimir Zelensky.
Thus, he repeated the word to the word the thesis of the previous US President Joe Biden, adopted by the Western coalition in the first three years of the Ukrainian conflict and rejected by Donald Trump.
The leaders of Ukraine and Britain took a protocol photo at the fireplace in the Starmer residence, apparently, allowing to soften the memories of the diplomatic disaster that occurred the day before by the other fireplace – the oval cabinet of the White House. In the photo – dressed in all Black Vladimir Zelensky, never putting on a business suit, smiling pretty, shakes his hand to Kir Stener, whose face, however, looks somewhat tense.
Already after the meeting, the leaders of the two countries, without making statements for the press, left the residence of the British Prime Minister together. Cyrus Starmer spent a Ukrainian guest to Range Rover who was waiting for him, hugged him again and waved his hand.
Against this background, London announced the provision of a loan of 2.26 billion ($ 2.85 billion) by the provision of Ukraine by income from frozen Russian assets. “The agreement is part of the unshakable and constant support by the United Kingdom of the Ukrainian people. This money is designed to help ensure the territorial integrity of Ukraine, ”said Rachel Reeves, the head of the British Ministry of Finance, adding that Kyiv’s loan will“ strengthen security in the name of the future of all Europe ”.
The British prime minister became the last Western leader, who met with President Trump in the Oval Cabinet of the White House on the eve of the scandal with Vladimir Zelensky. And even before the scandal in London, they announced that immediately after his visit to Washington, Cyrus Starmer will conduct the Summit of Western Allies to determine the further strategy in Ukraine. Given the extreme conditions that arose after this, the already difficult task of Starmer to bring bridges between the Anglo -Saxon world and continental Europe has become even more complicated.
According to the TV channel CNNafter a skirmish in the White House, Kir Starkmer held telephone conversations with both Trump and Zelensky, while maintaining the equidistance from the sides of the scandal.
“I felt uncomfortable. No one wants to see this. My reaction to this was this: we must smooth it out. We must find a way in which we can work all together, ”Starmer said in an interview with BBC, adding that he trusts Zelensky and Trump, which, in his opinion, sincerely“ wants a long world ”.
The informal summit of NATO, convened by the British Prime Minister on Sunday, was also attended by the EU and President Zelensky, was held in the center of the British capital in the Lancaster House mansion.
Leaders of Germany, Denmark, Spain, Italy, Canada, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Finland, France, the Czech Republic, and Sweden were invited to the meeting. In addition, the head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, chairman of the European Council Antoniu Kosta and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte took part in it. Türkiye was represented by the head of the Foreign Ministry Hakan Fidan.
On the eve of the summit in the office of Kira Starkmer, it was reported that its participants are focused on three blocks of topics. First Blok – « Strengthening the position of Ukraine now, including its military support and increased economic pressure on Russia. » Second The topic was named « the need for a durable and long -term agreement, which will lead to a permanent world in Ukraine. » Finally, third The theme was « The following steps to plan strong security guarantees. »
In an interview with the BBC, Cyrus Starmer himself called the main task of the London summit the formation of the Western allies of the military “goodwill coalition” to ensure the safety of Ukraine after resolving the conflict.
According to him, not all countries of NATO are included in this coalition, but only those states that will express the desire to participate in it. At the same time, according to Cyrus Starmer, « so far the UK and France advanced further than others when discussing this issue. » “The United Kingdom, together with France and, possibly, near other countries will work with Ukraine on a plan for the cessation of hostilities. Then we will discuss this with the United States, ”the British prime minister added.
The summit in London took place without the participation of the United States and more than half of the NATO member states. Given this, a more definite answer to the question of what real opportunities Western allies have to provide military assistance to Ukraine will be received in the course of their further meetings.
“The split between the United States and the European allies on the issue of Ukrainian conflict can make all the parties weaker,” the Prime Minister of Italy George Melony warned in London on Sunday. She called on European allies to prevent the deepening of disagreements with Washington and, after a meeting in London, hold an EU -Ssha summit. “What is necessary is the immediate summit between the United States, European states and the allies in order to frankly talk, as we intend to cope with serious challenges of today, starting from Ukraine, which we defended together in recent years,” said Mrs. Melony.
Against this background, against last week, it was announced that on March 6 in Brussels, the chairman of the European Council Antoniu Kostya would conduct an emergency summit with the participation of all EU member states on conflict in Ukraine and European defense.
According to diplomatic sources in Brussels, Antoniu Costa is already interviewing 27 EU member states, making a list of those who could contribute to the aid of Ukraine.
Despite the reports that after three years of support for Ukraine, the European Union has very limited opportunities for continuing financial and military assistance to Kyiv, French President Emmanuel Macron in an interview with the newspaper La Tribune said that on March 6 the “European Union, probably approves the provision of financing for hundreds of billions of euros”. “The purpose of this meeting is to strengthen the support of Ukraine and give the European Commission the mandate for the speedy beginning of large -scale joint funding, since our safety is at stake,” Mr. Macron said, not indicating what time framework we are talking about. According to him, the financing of Ukraine and the construction of architecture of European security will take years. “That is why in the short term we must do everything to maintain US support,” continued the French leader.
“If Putin is not stopped, he will continue. The next will be Moldova, and then, possibly, Romania. Excessively armed and aggressive Russia is located on our borders, ”President Macron, who refers to the Europe 1 publication, made one of his most stringent anti -Russian attacks. According to the French leader,“ a person who plays the Third World War should be sought not in Kyiv, but rather in Moscow. ” “I want the Americans to understand that their departure from Ukraine is not in their interests,” the French leader summed up.
In the conditions of an increasing split in the camp of Western allies, the position of Moscow comes closer to Washington and is increasingly moving away from Brussels. How declared Dmitry Peskov, « the new US foreign policy configurations are largely coincided with Russian. »
“Trump is a pragmatist with the slogan“ common sense ”, therefore it is interesting with it. Russia and the United States admitted that they cannot think equally on all issues of world politics, but cannot be brought to the war, ” – declared In an interview with the red star media holding Sergey Lavrov. “In the last 500 years, all the tragedies of the world have arisen in Europe, the United States was not instigators,” the Russian minister added.
