Germany Western leaders discuss Ukraine in London
More than a dozen Western heads of state and government as well as the leaders of the EU and NATO are meeting in London today to discuss the situation in the Ukraine war and the US push for peace negotiations. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also traveled to the British capital for the meeting. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selensky had already arrived in London the day before, where Prime Minister Keir Starmer gave him a demonstratively warm welcome following the scandal with US President Donald Trump at the White House.
02.03.2025, 05:04
SDA
The rift between Ukraine and the USA and the doubts it has raised about the most important NATO member's loyalty to the alliance under President Donald Trump are likely to dominate the summit. Host Starmer has recently positioned himself as a bridge builder between Europe and the United States, which have begun bilateral talks with Russia on ending the conflict. On the eve of the conference, Starmer spoke on the phone with Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron, while Italy's head of government Giorgia Meloni also reported a conversation with Trump.
USA does not want to promise any security
According to the British government, the talks in London will focus, among other things, on how Ukraine's position can be strengthened, for example through continued arms deliveries and increased economic pressure on Russia. The next steps in planning for strong security guarantees from the Europeans and the continuation of discussions with the new US administration, which has made a drastic change of course in the United States' Ukraine policy, are also to be discussed.
Great Britain and France have signaled their willingness to deploy their own troops to keep the peace in Ukraine. However, they are insisting on back-up from the USA - and despite a charm offensive by Macron and Starmer during visits to Washington this week, Trump has not yet been persuaded to make such a commitment.
Warm welcome for Selensky
After their visits, an unprecedented scandal erupted during Zelensky's meeting with Trump. Selensky engaged in a heated exchange with Trump and his vice president J.D. Vance in front of the cameras, who publicly accused him of serious offenses. The meeting ended without a conciliatory note - and the Ukrainian delegation had to leave without the hoped-for message of solidarity from its most important ally to date. The signing of an agreement on the extraction of natural resources in Ukraine and a joint press conference did not take place.
Starmer, who had already spoken to Trump and Zelensky by telephone shortly after the incident, however, gave the Ukrainian president a warm welcome at his official residence in Downing Street and greeted him with a hug. Numerous supporters who had gathered in London's government district cheered the Ukrainian. Selensky also scored a small diplomatic coup with an invitation to an audience with King Charles III before the start of the conference.
Just in time for the meeting, a contract was also signed for a British loan to Ukraine worth the equivalent of 2.74 billion euros. The money is intended to help with the defense against Russia's attack, flow into Ukrainian weapons production and be repaid with proceeds from frozen Russian assets, as Selensky explained. "This is true justice - the one who started the war must pay for it," he wrote on the online platform X.
"Time to stand together"
It is eagerly awaited whether the Europeans and their allies will succeed in demonstrating unity. Starmer's preliminary statement reads like an appeal to his guests: "Now is the time to stand together to achieve the best outcome for Ukraine, protect European security and secure our common future."
In addition to Selenskyj and Scholz, Macron, Meloni, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, EU Council President António Costa and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte are also expected to attend. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will also travel to the British capital.
