The French president, Emmanuel Macron, was on Saturday night seeking to convene an emergency meeting of European leaders, including the UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, as concerns grew over Donald Trump’s attempts to seize control of the Ukraine peace process.
[…]
The meeting, likely to be held on Monday, is expected to discuss US efforts to exclude European leaders from the peace talks, the position Europe should adopt on Ukraine’s future membership of Nato and how Ukraine can be offered security guarantees, either through Nato or some European force.Downing Street confirmed on Saturday it had heard about the proposed meeting and officials made clear that Starmer would attend and take messages from the meeting to Washington this week, when he will meet President Trump. UK sources said they believed those invited to Paris by Macron would be the Nato secretary general, Mark Rutte, and the leaders of Germany, Italy, the UK and Poland.
Starmer said: “This is a once-in-a-generation moment for our national security where we engage with the reality of the world today and the threat we face from Russia. It’s clear Europe must take a greater role in Nato as we work with the United States to secure Ukraine’s future and face down the threat we face from Russia. The UK will work to ensure we keep the US and Europe together. We cannot allow any divisions in the alliance to distract from the external enemies we face.”
Macron’s speed in trying to unite European leaders behind a joint response shows the extent of anxiety in Europe about US efforts both to control the process and exclude European governments from any detailed negotiations between the US and Russia.
The prospect of Starmer’s involvement also highlights how the UK prime minister is becoming drawn into a European response, despite the UK having left the EU. With European leaders expected to convene in Paris, it is anticipated that Russian and US officials will meet in Saudi Arabia this week to map out what they intend to be the peace process.
He’s been consistently right on this and much better than any of the alternatives in or out of Labour except Ed Davey, who has the same attitude and so deserves the same (qualified) praise.
Politicians on the radio already saying they will need to cut welfare budgets to pay for “defence” increases!
Big bonuses on the way for bosses of arms companies everywhere and dividends galore for investers. Whatever happens all this pantomiming will only benefit the already excessively wealthy.
Goddamn, how many times did the Guardian change the headline on this?
I thought Macron was cosy to Putin before the war?
Before the war a lot of things were different.
Most of Europe was too cosy with him, and thats all gone now its clear appeasement / containment / dragging Russia in the west culturally has utterly failed. The entire northern hemisphere seems to be in the initial stages of realigning into 3 great blocks.
And judging by history, those who stand outside them will be crushed between them.
So, Make Brexit Work, and Keep The US And Europe Together?
What does this even mean? 🧐
Sounds like someone trying to be clever and missing the mark by a long long way.
deleted by creator
Separating from the US only plays into pootin’s hands. US needs some time to first clear out its Russian infiltration problems.
Mate, Brexit was a shit move and isn’t working.
