They smiled, but the work was immeasurable. After dozens of apex, where he hesitated and disagreeded with the unanimous EU disagreeed with something like a cohesive plan at the end of the war in Ukraine, this was suddenly and rarely different.
Speaking for France, Germany, Poland, Italy, Spain, and Scandinavian and Baltic countries – Denmark, as well as the British Prime Minister and head of NATO, head of the European Commission and Council have been caught up in Paris from a historic week Ta.
Last Monday, US vice president JD Vance told Europe that “overregulation” of potentially harmful technologies was all wrong. Two days later, Donald Trump called Vladimir Putin to begin discussions between the US and Russia to end the war.
On the same day, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegses told his European opposition figures at a meeting in Brussels that the US is no longer “focusing primarily” on European security.
Vance arrived on Friday Coup de Grasse: A violent ideological assault that accuses European democracy of succumbing to free speech, succumbing to multiculturalism, and running at a terrifying position of voters. Forget Russia: The real threat to Europe was “from within,” he said.
The US vice president then refused to speak to German Prime Minister Olaf Scholz, and instead came from a party in which German security agencies are under surveillance as a potential threat to democracy. I met Alice Weidel, the leader of a far-right AFD.
In five days, the leader forced himself to recognize three realities. First, the United States and Europe did not appear to share the values that underpinned the Transatlantic Alliance since 1945. Second, Europe could no longer rely on the US to protect it.
Third – About the immediate questions that Europe was most enthusiastic about waiting for answers – As far as it actually existed, the US plan seemed to have not included a place on the European table (in that respect it includes Ukraine ).
Monday's Paris Summit was convened by French President Emmanuel Macron. Because, in the words of Elise's advisor, “We need Europeans to be needed in a better, better and more consistent way for our collective security.”
Attendees were not only considered the most determined, but were considered the best equipment, but not only capable ones, including the UK, but also major contributors to Ukraine, not members of the EU. and was considered a powerful European army.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arrived in Paris and said European security was “at a turning point.” Yes, it's about Ukraine – too about us. An urgent thinking is needed. There is a need for a rapid increase in defense. And we need both now. ”
However, Monday's summit is likely the first of many on a path to consistent European security policies in Ukraine and Europe. The security environment in Europe may have fundamentally changed, but Europe is not.
There is “inside the enemy.” Populists, far-right, Moscow-friendly, Pro-Trump government will block common security policies whenever possible. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Syjart lost time condemning Monday's summit.
The conference is a gathering of “war, anti-Trump, dissatisfied European leaders” aimed at preventing Ukraine's peace agreements, and unlike Budapest, it “supporting Donald Trump's ambitions; He added that he wants peace in Ukraine.”
I also tried it out, Slovak populist Prime Minister Robert Fico. EU officials were not tasked with European roles in the Ukraine ceasefire, he said, adding that the debate had no connection to the EU and their participation injuring confidence in the bloc .
Countries that were not invited to discuss Paris also complained. “Not all states are treated equally within the EU,” said Natasha Pirko Musar, pro-European president of Slovenia. “This is not the Europe we aim for [or] Respected Europe. ”
Other leaders are already afraid of the impact of a significant increase in defense spending on domestic politics. According to NATO, Portugal, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Croatia, Luxembourg and Slovenia, they all spend less than 2% of GDP on defense.
There is a stronger fight on the outlook than more shared borrowing (particularly Germany strongly opposes) to fund European collective security needs and surpass the use of Russia's frozen assets.
And soon there will be differences in Ukraine's postwar security guarantees. Macron had already raised the potential for Ukraine's final European peacekeeping force last year, with British Prime Minister Kiel Starfis saying the UK is ready to put its troops on the ground on Sunday. Ta. Sweden filed a lawsuit on Monday.
The Netherlands said it was “not negative” about the idea, but Germany is “immature” and Poland said 4% spends per capita GDP on defense more than other NATO members. , said it was “not planned.” Send the Polish army.”
EU diplomats acknowledge that the Trump administration's cruel trade, shy ideological stance could break up Europe's already vulnerable unification. Whether that is the case or not, says Monday's Paris meeting could depend on the process, the first step.
