The London summit was announced for March 2, even before the Ukrainian president's visit to Washington, indicating Europe's strategic preparation for changes in US policy. However, after the scandal between Zelensky and Trump, it became especially important.
Points of attention
- The London summit on Ukraine focused on securing support from European countries and NATO to ensure Ukraine's security.
- Key discussions at the summit included the possibility of reaching a peace agreement and providing financial aid to the Ukrainian defense industry.
- European leaders emphasized the importance of preparing for the worst in the geostrategic environment and increasing investments in defense for long-term security.
The summit on Ukraine was held in London: results
The meeting was attended by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, as well as the leaders of France, Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Canada, Finland, Sweden, the Czech Republic, and Romania.
In addition, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa joined the talks.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said after the summit that there was no deal for Ukraine yet, but “we must prepare for that moment and make sure that European countries are ready to help with security guarantees.” This, he said, means that “Europeans will be active in Ukraine” to ensure lasting peace.
According to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Europe must rearm and prepare for the worst.
It is now extremely important to increase investment in defense for the long term. This is for the security of the EU. In the geostrategic environment in which we live, we need to prepare for the worst, and therefore strengthen defense.
Ursula von der Leyen
President of the European Commission
Commenting on the summit's results, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk wrote that "Europe has woken up."
The EU, Ukraine, the UK, Norway, Turkey — all speak in one voice about helping Ukraine, the need for close transatlantic cooperation, and strengthening the eastern border.
According to the British Prime Minister, the future peace agreement must include Russia, otherwise "we will not make any progress at all." But according to him, Russia cannot dictate the terms.
European Council President Antonio Costa said that the EU is ready to work with partners on a peace plan for Ukraine.
We must learn from the past. We cannot repeat the Minsk experience. We cannot repeat the tragedy of Afghanistan. And for this we need reliable security guarantees.
Following the meeting, the Office of the President of Ukraine reported that there is a clear position: the basis of a potential ceasefire must be strong security guarantees.
In particular, they consider the possibility of "involving NATO mechanisms" as one of the security guarantees - although without explaining which ones. In addition, the beginning of the ceasefire, according to Kyiv's position, should begin with the exchange of prisoners and the return of children. As the OP emphasizes, this is a step that will demonstrate Russia's true intention for peace.
In turn, the Franco-British plan, which Macron spoke about, proposes to establish a ceasefire "in the air, on land and regarding energy infrastructure" for a period of one month.
According to Keir Starmer, Europe is ready to step up aid to Ukraine "with planes in the air and boots on the ground"
We will send a contingent to Ukraine to protect the implementation of this agreement. We cannot wait, neglecting the opportunity to help. We will increase our assistance immediately.
Keir Starmer
Prime Minister of Britain
As noted by the Office of the President of Ukraine, the leaders also discussed continued financial support for the Ukrainian defense industry. The issue was investment in domestic weapons production, as well as increased funding for the European defense industry.
