French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer are heading to Washington next week, in an attempt to reshape Europe’s role in the Ukraine conflict. This development is expected to take place as Europe is concerned about US President Donald Trump’s firm stand on Ukraine and his plan to conduct talks with Moscow. The European leaders want to ensure that any peace deal does not pressure Ukraine to give up too much and that Europe continues to have a say in future decisions.
Diplomacy talks in focus
Macron and Starmer will be traveling to Washington separately and both of them will convey a clear message. Macron also has experience working with Trump during his earlier term and wants to avoid a ceasefire deal that is weak and made in a hurry. He is anxious that agreeing to unfavourable conditions could be seen as a sign of weakness-not just by Russia but also by global rivals like Iran and China. As Macron stated, ‘’I will tell him, deep down you cannot be weak in the face of the President (Putin). It is not you, it’s not what you are made of, and it’s not in your interest,” as reported by Reuters.
His strong statement reflects his belief that clear and firm leadership is significant when facing pressure from the Russian side. Starmer also asserts that a ceasefire deal should not be of brief period before fighting starts again. He stated that any agreement must be made to protect Ukraine’s future and stop Russian aggression.
Plans to provide stronger security to Ukraine
Britain and France along with diplomatic talks are also planning to assist in securing Ukraine once the conflict calms down. They are discussing several methods for supporting Ukraine in terms of sea, air, cyber defense, and land. One of their proposals is to deploy air naval forces in nearby countries like Romania and Poland. This way they will be able to safeguard major routes and ensure safe international shipping in the Black Sea, according to a Reuters report.
None of the country’s purpose is to send troops directly into Ukraine at this time, they are also considering setting up a European peacekeeping force that can shield crucial sites like nuclear facilities and ports.
In response to these plans, the President recently commented on a Fox News podcast, ‘’Macron and Starmer have done nothing to end the war.’’ He gave another strong remark, ‘’No meetings with Russia!’’.
(With inputs from Reuters)