European leaders stress unity with Ukraine ahead of Washington summit
Ahead of a landmark meeting of the 'Coalition of the Willing' in Washington on Monday, European leaders reiterated the need for a united front with Ukraine to achieve a robust peace.
These European leaders took part in a video call with Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Sunday ahead of Monday's talks with US President Donald Trump.
Discussions reportedly focused on key matters such as the need to stop the fighting in Ukraine, the commitment to maintain full pressure on Russia through sanctions, the principle that it is up to Ukraine to take decisions on its territory and the need for strong security guarantees to protect both Ukraine and Europe's security interests.
Addressing journalists on Sunday evening, French President Emmanuel Macron said: 'The situation ahead of tomorrow's talks in Washington is extremely serious, not only for Ukraine, but also for Europe.'
'If we show weakness today in front of Russia, we are laying the ground for future conflicts,' he said, adding that Ukraine's allies want a strong and lasting peace in Ukraine and for its territorial integrity to be respected.
Macron said he supported Trump's desire for peace and underlined that Ukraine must be represented in any talks on Ukraine's future.
This sentiment was reaffirmed by Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who said there was 'strong consensus among the Coalition countries on the need to continue supporting Ukraine.'
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also reiterated her support for Ukrainian security on the eve of the summit in Washington. She said that 'only Ukraine can discuss conditions on its territory.'
Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said the leaders of the 'Coalition of the Willing' countries agreed that 'clear security guarantees for Ukraine from the United States and Europe will be absolutely essential for further negotiations.'
Germany's Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul on Sunday praised the German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and other European leaders planning to accompany Zelenskyy to the White House.
"This shows, first, that Germany is playing a leading, moderating and unifying role in this conflict, and second, that Germany stands firmly with Ukraine," he said.
"We will not leave President Zelenskyy alone on this difficult path of upcoming negotiations," Wadephul added.
The demonstrations of European support come against the backdrop of remarks by US envoy Steve Witkoff, who said that Russian President Vladimir Putin had signalled new flexibility in Alaska talks with Trump.
Witkoff said that Putin agreed to allow the US and its European allies to offer Ukraine a security guarantee resembling NATO's collective defence mandate as part of an eventual deal to end Moscow's ongoing, full-scale invasion.
Article 5, at the heart of the 32-member military alliance, states that an armed attack against one or more of the members shall be considered an attack against all members.
Though Witkoff offered few details on how such an agreement would work, the news appeared to be a major shift for Putin.
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