Europe’s Leaders Split on Strategies for Dealing with Trump

On Monday night, French President Emmanuel Macron promptly reached out to Donald Trump and separately to Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky, following the departure of key military leaders from the elegant Élysée Palace.

What accomplishments could the French leader highlight? Was the emergency security summit he convened effective?

Critics of Europe express frustration due to the ambiguity in responses. Various nations within Europe operate with differing perspectives, despite having shared values and objectives.

However, in today’s climate dominated by stark contrasts, as seen in Washington and Moscow, where entities are simply categorized into the strong and weak, the subtlety of European politics may appear as a vulnerability.

Under such unkind scrutiny, the meeting on Monday was deemed unsuccessful.

Expectations were high among leaders. Coverage in the media surged as soon as the summit was announced.

Heads of NATO, EU officials, and key military leaders of Europe convened rapidly.

Their aim was to capture Donald Trump’s attention, impress him, and secure a place at the negotiating table for the anticipated peace talks he intends to hold with Russia’s Vladimir Putin regarding Ukraine’s future.

Europe was – and still is – sensitive about being neglected.

Ukraine is part of Europe. Its future will affect the entire continent.

Depending on the outcomes from any peace discussions, Europe’s security agencies worry that Putin may shift his focus to destabilizing other nations’ sovereignty.

Countries along the Baltic Sea that share borders with Russia are particularly vulnerable.

Yet, at Monday’s meeting, leaders did not enhance their position.

Indeed, they assert plans to allocate more funding to their defense, as Trump insists, despite concerns at home regarding budgetary restrictions and the ongoing cost of living crisis.

The Paris discussion even contemplated the option of deploying European forces in Ukraine to supervise a potential ceasefire – a notion that was inconceivable just weeks prior.

This is precisely what the US president advocates.

Nonetheless, the leaders convened in Paris were unable to articulate a definitive, unified statement that might have caught the attention of the impatient businessman-turned-president.

There are numerous reasons for this, despite Europe’s urgent sentiments regarding Ukraine and the broader aspects of European security.

Various European leaders are frustrated by the feeling that they must conform to Trump’s demands.

The irritation was evident from German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who is usually calm, as he exited the Paris meeting.

“It is entirely premature and fundamentally inappropriate to have this conversation [about sending European troops to Ukraine] right now. I’m somewhat irritated by this discourse.”

He has emphasized that both the United States and Europe must share equal responsibilities regarding Ukraine.

Scholz is likely facing a political upheaval soon, as German elections are scheduled for Sunday, where he is expected to lose.

He has also displayed a few unusually emotional reactions domestically recently, likely due to the pressure he is under.

However, it is vital to recognize that he is not isolated in this sentiment among European leaders, who are wary of Trump’s intentions to disengage from Ukraine and redirect his focus elsewhere. Possibly towards China?

They also fear that the US president’s actions might not only deplete the defense commitment the US has provided to Europe post-World War II, but that Europe may find itself needing to defend against Trump and his policies.

The British Prime Minister conveyed a sharply different tone after the Paris meeting compared to the broader European concerns.

He is enthusiastic about leveraging the “special relationship” the UK hopes to maintain with Washington as a conduit between Europe and the US.

Sir Keir Starmer is determined not to jeopardize this connection, asserting to voters that European security aligns with national interests.

He appeared resolutely unshaken by Russia’s preliminary discussions with the US in Saudi Arabia.

A date for the anticipated summit between Trump and Putin has yet to be confirmed.

Sir Keir aims to seize an opportunity to advocate for Europe’s case during his planned visit to Washington for a meeting with the US President next week.

The Prime Minister has stated that the US must continue to support its allies.

If it fails to do so, European leaders will need to continue gathering until they can formulate a coherent approach to Ukraine and their collective security.

Should they falter once more, the stability of the continent will loom under increasing uncertainty.