French President Emmanuel Macron quickly reached out to Donald Trump and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday night, following an emergency security summit at the Élysée Palace in Paris. The question remains: what did Macron achieve, and was the summit a success?
The summit’s outcome was unclear, a common frustration for Europe’s detractors. Different European nations have distinct voices, despite sharing many values and goals. This nuance can be perceived as weakness in the current climate of black-and-white thinking prevalent in Washington and Moscow.
Macron’s emergency security summit aimed to address Europe’s concerns about being sidelined by Trump in negotiations with Russia. The summit brought together European Union chiefs, NATO leaders, and influential military nations. They sought to grab Trump’s attention and secure a seat at the negotiating table for peace talks with Russia’s Vladimir Putin.
However, the summit failed to deliver a strong, united response. European leaders are frustrated about being forced to adapt to Trump’s demands, particularly regarding increased defense spending. Despite domestic concerns about limited budgets and the cost of living crisis, the Paris meeting discussed sending European troops to Ukraine to oversee a potential ceasefire.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed his frustration, stating that discussions about sending troops were premature. Scholz emphasized the need for equal division of responsibilities between the US and Europe in Ukraine. His comments reflected the concerns of many European leaders, who suspect Trump is eager to abandon Ukraine and focus on other issues, possibly China.
In contrast, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer adopted a more optimistic tone. He aims to leverage the UK’s “special relationship” with Washington to bridge the gap between Europe and the US. Starmer will meet Trump soon, hoping to press Europe’s case and ensure the US remains committed to its allies’ security.
