Macron says Russia a threat to Europe as EU leaders hold emergency summit

As European Union leaders prepare for emergency talks in Brussels in response to the Trump administration’s position on transatlantic ties, French President Emmanuel Macron has stated that Russian aggression “knows no borders” and poses a direct threat to Europe.

Who can possibly believe that Ukraine will be the center of this Russia today? said McCarthy in a late on Wednesday televised address.

For the first time since the explosive meeting between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last week, all 27 EU leaders will convene on Thursday for a summit on defense. After the Ukrainian leader’s willingness to sign a contentious mineral deal with the US, Trump has since toned down his position on Zelenskyy. Trump’s anger was heightened by Zinenskyy’s demand that Washington instead issue a security guarantee.

Washington calls for the United States to increase their defense spending, and threatens to withdraw American troops from Europe under the banner of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which was founded in 1949 to combat the threat of the Soviet Union.

Without involving his European allies in his efforts to end the Ukraine war, Trump has reached out to Russian President Vladimir Putin. He has attributed the war to Ukraine in his statements, which was sparked by Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Since then, Washington has stopped providing military support to Ukraine, which is crucial to Kyiv’s defense against Russia.

Trump’s policy toward Ukraine

US allies have been hampered by the new policy on Ukraine, and EU leaders are openly questioning Washington’s dependability as a security partner going forward. They worry that any agreement to end the continent’s biggest conflict since World War II will not consider the interests of Kyiv and Europe.

Macron reaffirmed the importance of European unity in the face of Russian aggression. Macron reaffirmed his belief that the US will continue to support us. If that isn’t the case, we must be prepared, though.

He continued, “The fate of Europe should not be decided in Washington or Moscow.”

After any eventual peace agreement with Russia, the French leader added that he intends to convene a meeting of army chiefs from Europe’s nations the following week.

Macron added that he would talk with his European partners about expanding French nuclear disarmament to other continents, but that the president would continue to have control over the outcome.

At weekend talks in London with Zelenskyy and reiterated their support for Ukraine, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for the Kremlin, claimed in a phone call to journalists that Macron’s televised address had been “extremely confrontational” and that it was obvious that France wasn’t thinking about peace.

According to Peskov, “one can conclude that France thinks more about war than about keeping the war.”

Sergey Lavrov, the foreign minister of Russia, agreed with Peskov and claimed that Macron’s remarks about discussing nuclear disarmament with European allies were a “threat” against Russia during a press conference in Moscow.

Europe’s very survival is in danger, it seems.

EU leaders will consider Trump’s unpredictable and transactional approach to foreign policy at the Brussels meeting. The summit will also feature Selenskyy.

Although the Brussels meeting will aim to increase European support for Kyiv, it is unlikely to result in any significant aid announcements beyond the $32.4 billion commitment the bloc has made this year. Additionally, EU leaders are expected to discuss the European Commission’s proposal to lend to member states up to 150 billion euros ($162bn) under a rearmament plan.

Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, unveiled a $ 800-billion ($863bn) plan to “re-arm Europe” and assume responsibility for its defense on Tuesday.

There is a real fear that the US might withdraw and leave Europe vulnerable to Russian aggression or other aggression. According to Natacha Butler, a reporter for Al Jazeera from Brussels, there is a sense that Europe’s very survival and future might be in jeopardy.

She stated that EU leaders would be discussing ways to “restore Europe, make sure that Europe could become sovereign in terms of defense, bolster and increase defense spending across the European Union, and improve military coordination.”

A peace plan proposed by France and the UK will also be discussed, according to Butler. We are aware that the intention is to prevent any potential ceasefire in Ukraine in the future by sending European peacekeepers.

Source: Aljazeera