Europe Macron and Starmer for one-month ceasefire in Ukraine
A few days before a special EU summit, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron are proposing a one-month ceasefire in Ukraine as a step towards a possible peace agreement. Their peace plan envisages a "ceasefire in the air, at sea and in the area of energy infrastructure" as the first de-escalation measure, as Macron told the French newspaper "Le Figaro". Following the scandal in the White House, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selensky emphasized his great appreciation for the help of the USA in the defensive war against Russia.
03.03.2025, 05:08
SDA
At the special EU meeting on Thursday in Brussels, to which Selenskyj has also been invited, the drastic change of course by the USA in its Ukraine policy and a plan for the rearmament of Europe will be discussed, among other things. Western heads of state and government as well as the heads of the EU and NATO had already met in London on Sunday for a Ukraine summit. One outcome of the summit was that the UK, France and a few other countries would develop a peace plan for a ceasefire in Ukraine, which would then be discussed with the USA.
Ukraine has been defending itself against a war of aggression ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin with Western support for three years now.
"Coalition of the willing" planned
The ceasefire proposed by Macron and Starmer would apparently not initially affect the ground fighting on the front in eastern Ukraine. According to Macron, the advantage of such a concept is that violations of such a limited ceasefire would be easier to verify. It should not be forgotten that the front line currently corresponds roughly to the distance between Paris and Budapest.
Such a ceasefire should create space for diplomatic solutions and lay the foundations for negotiations. We want peace in Ukraine, but not at any price, warned Macron. He emphasized that security guarantees were essential. Starmer had announced that he would develop "a coalition of the willing" to defend an agreement in Ukraine.
In the interview, Macron made it clear that the plan proposed at the London Ukraine summit to deploy European troops on Ukrainian soil would only come into question once the negotiations had been successful and there was a stable ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia. No soldiers would be deployed in an initial phase such as the proposed one-month ceasefire.
Selenskyj: There has not been a day without gratitude for US help
Selensky expressed his great appreciation for the help provided by the USA. "Of course we know the importance of America, and we are grateful for all the support we have received from the United States," said Zelensky in his video message released the night after the summit in London. He added: "There has not been a day when we have not felt gratitude."
During the scandal in the White House on Friday, Trump and his Vice President J.D. Vance had hurled serious accusations at Selensky in the Oval Office, accusing him of a lack of gratitude, among other things. In response, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte had said that Selenskyj should find a way to restore his relationship with Trump. This was important for the future. Selensky had not only thanked the USA for its help in previous years, but also after the scandal.
Meanwhile, Zelenskyi expressed his willingness to sign a controversial agreement on raw materials with the USA. "No matter what has happened, our policy is to remain constructive," Zelensky told the British BBC in the evening. "If we were ready to sign the minerals deal, then we remain ready," he said, according to the broadcaster's translation.
The planned signing of the agreement was canceled after the scandal. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent then declared on Sunday that the agreement was off the table for the time being. Selenskyj, on the other hand, said according to the broadcaster's translation: "The agreement is still on the table and will be signed when the parties are ready."
Leyen: "We urgently need to rearm Europe"
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wants to present a comprehensive plan for the rearmament of Europe at the special summit on Thursday. "We urgently need to rearm Europe", said von der Leyen after the Ukraine summit in London.
The EU states are facing the challenge of having to significantly increase their defense spending in view of the global situation. The question of financing remains open, as the additional investment requirement is estimated at around 500 billion euros - and some member states are already heavily in debt.
Von der Leyen said that Ukraine, with the help of the allied states, must basically be turned "into a steel porcupine" that is indigestible for potential invaders. "And of course security guarantees for Ukraine are of the utmost importance. But we need comprehensive security guarantees," said the Commission President. Ukraine must be brought into a position of strength, both economically and militarily.
Medvedev: Russophobic anti-Trump circle in London
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev criticized the London summit. "The Russophobic anti-Trump circle has gathered in London to swear allegiance to the Nazi nobodies in Kiev," wrote Medvedev, who is now vice-chairman of Russia's National Security Council, on Platform X. "It's a shameful sight, worse than the verbal diarrhea of a clown in the Oval Office."
The Russian military again launched swarms of drones at targets in Ukraine on Sunday evening. According to Ukrainian media reports and air defense officials, the drone units were spotted over various parts of the country. Recently, the Russian military has started to deploy numerous so-called decoy drones. These aircraft fly without explosive devices, simply to overload the Ukrainian air defenses and force them to waste valuable ammunition.
