French President Emmanuel Macron will host a meeting of key European leaders in Paris on Monday to discuss the situation in Ukraine and European security. The meeting comes as Russia pushes for negotiations aimed at addressing not only the war in Ukraine but also broader security concerns in Europe.
French President Emmanuel Macron is convening a pivotal meeting in Paris on Monday, February 16th, to address the pressing security concerns facing Europe. The gathering will bring together key European leaders, including those from Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands, and Denmark. Notably, European Council President Antonio Costa, European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and NATO Secretary General Marc Rutte will also be in attendance.
This high-level meeting comes amidst escalating tensions surrounding Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine and its broader implications for European security. The Kremlin has actively sought negotiations to address not only the conflict in Ukraine, which is nearing its third anniversary, but also overarching European security arrangements. These talks, slated to commence in Saudi Arabia in the coming days, have sparked apprehensions among European nations that Russian President Vladimir Putin may revive pre-invasion demands aimed at constraining NATO's presence in Eastern Europe and reducing US influence on the continent. However, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio tempered expectations surrounding any immediate breakthroughs from the forthcoming talks with Russian officials. Speaking at the conclusion of the Munich Security Conference on Sunday, Rubio emphasized that a path to peace is a multifaceted and protracted process. He underscored that no concrete agreements have been finalized and that the primary objective is to create an opening for comprehensive dialogue encompassing Ukraine and ultimately leading to a cessation of hostilities. Rubio stressed the importance of Ukraine and the European Union's active participation in any negotiations, asserting that true and lasting peace cannot be achieved without their involvement. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged the establishment of a European army, arguing that the continent can no longer rely solely on the United States for security. Zelenskyy emphasized the need for European autonomy in decision-making regarding Ukraine and the continent's future, advocating for 'no decisions about Ukraine without Ukraine' and 'no decisions about Europe without Europe'. Despite calls for European engagement, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth appears to have ruled out Ukraine's NATO membership and the complete recapture of all territories lost since 2014. Furthermore, Finnish President Alexander Stubb cautioned against negotiations that could rewrite European security, specifically warning against legitimizing Russia's aspirations for a new, undivided security order based on spheres of influence
EUROPE SECURITY UKRAINE WAR MACRON NATO RUSSIA EUROPEAN UNION
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