Key leaders of Europe and NATO nations could be on the negotiation table with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his upcoming meeting with US President Donald Trump in Washington.
Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and Finland are showing strong support for the Ukrainian president after he was left out of Trump’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday. Their promise to stand by Zelenskyy during his visit to the White House on Monday seems aimed at making sure the meeting goes more smoothly than the last one in February, when Trump harshly criticised the former in a tense Oval Office discussion.
“The Europeans are very afraid of the Oval Office scene being repeated and so they want to support Mr.Zelenskyy to the hilt,” AP quoted retired French Gen Dominique Trinquand, a former head of France's military mission at the United Nations, as saying.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed on a proposal where the US and European allies would provide a NATO-like security guarantee to Ukraine to end the 3.5-year-long war. It was the first occasion when Russia agreed on such a proposal, probably a positive move in the direction to broker a truce.
Macron asks Trump to back proposal by European allies on Ukraine
France President Emmanuel Macron said the European leaders will press Trump to reinforce Ukraine by providing better training and equipment to its armed forces. He said Trump will also be asked to back a plan drafted by the Ukraine leaders in favour of Ukraine.
“We need a credible format for the Ukrainian army, that's the first point, and say — we Europeans and Americans — how we'll train them, equip them, and finance this effort in the long-term,” AP quoted Macron as saying.
Putin says Europe obstacle in peace process
Putin has suggested that Europe poses an obstacle to the negotiation process. He has also declined to meet with Zelenskyy face-to-face, insisting that such a meeting can only occur after the foundational terms of a peace agreement have been established.
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy continues to emphasise that both the United States and Europe must play key roles in any future negotiations.
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