In Lancaster House, a manor house from the 19th century next to Buckingham Palace, it felt like a moment of truth for Europe, since the greatest forces in the continent gathered to try to save something from a decaying post -war order.
Sir Keir Starrer and French President Emmanuel Macron, who worked in Tandem, had a clear message in London: Europe has to prove that it is part of the solution for that Crisis on his own continentNot part of the problem.
As one of the allies of the British Prime Minister put it in front of the meeting, there was no alternative to bring things together with the White House: “The Prime Minister will bring people together and politely make sure that she only gives a negotiation in the city – and that is President Trump.”
Browse through the diplomatic rubble of Trumps catastrophic oval office With President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Starer and Macron made it clear on Sunday that Europe had to intervene to try to save a concept of peace from the war in Ukraine.
Sagler said that this meant that Great Britain and France would be with Zelenskyy, what a settlement could look like after the route in Ukraine, and then record the European plan for Trump and act as mediators in the toxic relationship between Kyiv and Washington.
The British Prime Minister insisted on Sunday that a final deal would have to involve Ukraine-in one agreement about where the “line” with Russia would be drawn after the “line” hostel crisis, but in the meantime Europe would lead diplomacy on behalf of Kyiv.
This delicate – perhaps impossible task – will now fall three European leaders with whom Trump seems to have the best relationships: Strander and Macron, who visited the White House last week – and Italy’s Giorgia Meloni.
“It is very, very important that we avoid the risk that the West shares itself,” Meloni said in bilateral conversations in Downing Street before the Lancaster House summit.
The prospect of a permanent break between Europe and the USA is already joy in the Kremlin. Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for President Vladimir Putin, welcomed Trump’s administration because “he dramatically changed all of his foreign policy configurations” and swung towards the invasion of Ukraine in the direction of Moscow.
Peskov told state television that Trump’s attitude “largely coincides with our vision”. He said it was “impossible” that the United States and Russia would vote together about a UN resolution that Moscow did not blame for the conflict.
The real danger of a transatlantic break hung above the meeting of the Lancaster House, which was made in London early spring. As if Elon Musk, Trump’s bureaucracy buster, wanted to highlight the risk, Quotes a contribution From a US policy commentator on his X platform on Sunday said it was “time to leave NATO and the UN”. The billionaire added: “I agree”.
Starer and Macron have tried to throw a diplomatic arm to Zelenskyy – literally in the case of the British Prime Minister in Downing Street on Saturday. King Charles also hit the Ukrainian guide on Sunday.
But behind the hug was a tough warning for the Ukrainian leader that the path to a permanent peace is running through the White House and that Zelenskyy has to speak again with Trump and sign a deal to hand over it Some future mineral rights in his country to the USA.
According to the British officials, Starer was in pain on a phone call on Saturday evening to make Trump clear that the summit of the Lancaster House was not a case of Europe.
“The priority of the Prime Minister is to do everything to defend Ukraine,” said a Starer ally. “This means that the USA must be involved. You have to fix this relationship and return to this mineral contract. “
According to European diplomats, however, the diplomatic efforts to preserve the US security guarantee must also lead the diplomatic efforts not only above Ukraine, but over the entire continent.
Starer and Macron have promised a British, French force to be secure in the event of an armistice in the Ukraine conflict and call on other European countries to join a “coalition of the will”. So far there has hardly been a rush to help.
According to the British officials, however, they made it clear that such a force would be doomed to fail, unless the United States offer a “baking stop” – or more precisely air coverage and surveillance for the protection of European troops on site.
Starer also noticed the dangers of incorrect agreements with Putin, citing the failure of the MinsSK agreements in 2014 and 2015.
However, Trump gave no indication that he is willing to offer support to ensure an agreement. The European promises, again annoyed-told the continent to the continent that he should no longer end the freeriding guarantees for most of a decade.
Trump said Starrer this week that he was sufficient as a deterrent for Putin the future presence of American companies and workers in Ukraine – the exploitation of the country’s mineral reserves.
Perhaps Europe is trying to control the damage due to lack of other options. Macron told the La Tribune dimanche newspaper on Sunday that he “tried to understand the Americans that the solution to Ukraine was not in their interest”.
“We shouldn’t try to maintain a strong transatlantic bond,” wrote the President of Lithuania, Gitanas Nausėda, after a video call with Parens and other Baltic leaders on Sunday morning on X.
Some European capitals, especially those along the eastern flank of the EU that are most frequently exposed to the Russian threat and are particularly dependent on American protection, is also very concerned that a tear with Trump via Ukraine could further undermine the commitment of the United States for the collective defense in NATO.
Meloni a convinced supporter of Kyiv, who also set up good relationships with Trump Hat-Hat Ideas to limit the consequences of the Oval Office Row, to discuss the future of Ukraine and a telephone conversation with Trump on Saturday evening.
But Germany, Spain and Poland are among the countries that are not committed to sending troops to Ukraine, while the EU has only now created a plan to try to increase the continent defense spending.
In London it is increasingly frustrated that some of the leaders in Europe have to stop and publicly criticize Trump and his diplomatic attack on Zelenskyy and show the White House that they have the will to take responsibility for their own garden.
“What Ukraine now needs are weapons and butter,” said a rigid ally. “It doesn’t need people who tweet tweeting and virtue signaling.” A lot was spoken in the Lancaster House on Sunday, but Europe knows that it has to be acting now.
Additional reporting by Adrienne Klasa in Paris
