The informal meeting of European leaders held in Paris on Monday, February 17th, once again highlighted the absence of a common policy within the European Union, particularly concerning the war in Ukraine. Convened by French President Emmanuel Macron, the gathering brought together only European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President António Costa, and a select group of statesmen that Macron hoped would second his proposals. The heads of the governments of Germany, the UK, Poland, Italy, the Netherlands, Denmark and Spain, however, rather than showcasing unity, were reluctant to rally behind France. The most openly sceptical was Italy’s Giorgia Meloni, exposing the radically diverging approaches and priorities among the bloc’s main countries.
Emmanuel Macron attempted to position himself as the European leader capable of setting a common direction for a Ukraine strategy. In his statements following the meeting, he insisted that “strong and credible security guarantees for the Ukrainians must accompany any lasting peace.” He asserted that they would work “together with all Europeans, Americans, and Ukrainians.”
However, his speech seemed more like wishful thinking than a tangible reality, as he lacked unanimous support from even from the fellow leaders he had invited.
While UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed willingness to send British troops for a potential peacekeeping mission in Ukraine, he made it clear that this would only happen under the umbrella and agreement of the United States. “We are ready to support, but always in coordination with Washington,” Starmer stated. The possibility of U.S. involvement in such an operation seems highly unlikely, however, particularly given Donald Trump’s stance on the war in Ukraine and the initial peace talks commencing today in Saudi Arabia with Russia:everything will depend on the outcomes of those negotiations.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz took an even more cautious and pragmatic approach. “Discussing peacekeeping forces now is highly inappropriate,” Scholz asserted, emphasizing that any such decision must have the approval of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. What in reality lies behind his statements is a more immediate concern: the upcoming German regional elections on February 23, where his party, the SPD, risks losing further political ground. Recent polls suggest, at best, a third-place finish, closely tied with the Greens.
According to Italian news agency ANSA, Giorgia Meloni was the last to arrive at the meeting, and apparently was not very happy with the neither its content nor form. After the summit she expressed dissatisfaction with the list of invitees, stressing that all 27 EU member states should make joint decisions in Brussels. She also underscored that meetings should not be held in an “anti-Trump format.”
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez took a less defined position, waiting to see how his counterparts’ stances evolved. He did acknowledge, on the other hand, that the EU might need to relax its fiscal rules to allow for increased defense spending. “It is necessary to review debt limits to address new security challenges,” Sánchez admitted, aligning with the growing pressure for EU member states to bolster their military budgets.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk immediately ruled out sending Polish troops to Ukraine, highlighting the contrast between France’s situation and his country’s. “The French are far away and can afford to talk about sending soldiers; we are too close and cannot,” stated a senior Polish official. Poland’s proximity to Russia and Belarus means that any security decision is taken with extreme caution.
Tusk’s stance is perhaps the most sensible of all. Western European leaders’ bravado may make good headlines, but Realpolitik follows a different path.
Ursula von der Leyen and António Costa, unsurprisingly, reiterated the need for a peace agreement that guarantees Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Today in Paris we reaffirmed that Ukraine deserves peace through strength.
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) February 17, 2025
Peace respectful of its independance, sovereignty, territorial integrity, with strong security guarantees.
Europe carries its full share of the military assistance to Ukraine.
At the same time we need… pic.twitter.com/xdAnkeWr4v
“Today in Paris, we reaffirm that Ukraine deserves peace through strength,” they stated in a joint message. At the same time, their statement lacked concrete details on how these security guarantees would be implemented, or what the EU’s role in a potential peacekeeping mission would be.
Once again, Europe’s inability to agree on a sensible common stance was on display. As in all other critical moments, the EU’s internal fractures became painfully visible this time too.
