As we mark the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, European countries find themselves experiencing a rift with their ally, the United States.
During the presidency of Donald Trump, the US and Russia initiated peace discussions that did not include Ukraine or European nations.
Numerous European leaders, feeling exasperated by Trump’s approach to Ukraine, are now seeking ways to offer security guarantees to the beleaguered country.
Here’s how European leaders are stepping up to support Kyiv:
What led to this situation?
This month, Trump had a conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin and agreed to pursue peace talks with Russia, raising alarms among European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about their exclusion from the discussions.
“No decisions concerning Ukraine should be made without Ukraine. … Europe needs to have a seat at the table when discussions about Europe take place,” Zelenskyy stated on February 15 during the Munich Security Conference.
On February 17, French President Emmanuel Macron convened an emergency summit at the Elysee Palace in Paris with European leaders to deliberate on security guarantees for Ukraine. The following day, senior diplomats from the US and Russia met in Saudi Arabia without representation from Ukraine or Europe. The two nations reported that they talked about repairing their relationship.
Since then, Trump and Zelenskyy have engaged in a verbal conflict, with Trump labeling the Ukrainian leader a “dictator” and accusing Ukraine of instigating the war with Russia. Zelenskyy responded by asserting that the US president operates within a “disinformation space” created by Russia.
What actions are European leaders taking?
The leaders of the 27 EU member states are set to gather for an emergency summit on March 6. President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, confirmed on Sunday that the meeting will occur in Brussels, focusing on security matters for Ukraine and Europe.
“We are in a defining moment for Ukraine and European security,” he stated via social media.
The last gathering of EU leaders took place on February 3, where they discussed strategies to prevent a tariff conflict with the US.
The EU is crafting a military assistance package for Ukraine, estimated to be worth at least 20 billion euros (approximately $21bn), according to three EU diplomats speaking to Politico.
The aid package is expected to include financial support and military assets such as missiles and artillery shells. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas is advocating for the reinforcement of military support to Kyiv.
The Trump administration is retreating from its role in providing security guarantees to Ukraine, urging Europe to take the lead, citing other US priorities, including border security.
European nations must contend with Russia’s territorial ambitions, which “are likely to intensify with US backing,” remarked Keir Giles, a senior consulting fellow at London’s Chatham House think tank, during an interview with Al Jazeera.
Giles further noted that US leaders appear to be “intending to exert hostile leverage” to ensure acceptance of Russia’s conditions for peace.
“European nations are constrained by their limited military capabilities, which are the only real leverage in deterring both Russia and the US,” Giles added.
What message are European leaders conveying to Trump?
Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer are set to visit Washington separately this week, aiming to dissuade Trump from distancing himself from Ukraine.
Starmer and Macron spoke by phone on Sunday, concluding that Europe must demonstrate “unified leadership in support of Ukraine against Russian aggression,” according to a statement from Starmer’s office.
Russia’s deputy foreign minister mentioned on Saturday that preparations are underway for a Trump-Putin summit.
Macron will meet with Trump at the White House on Monday, while Starmer is scheduled to visit the US president on Thursday.
“I will convey to him [Trump], ‘Deep down, you cannot appear weak in front of President [Putin]. That’s not your character, nor is it in your best interests,’” Macron expressed during a social media Q&A ahead of his visit.
At the Scottish Labour Party conference in Glasgow on Sunday, Starmer remarked: “Given all that they have endured, and everything they have fought for, there can be no conversation about Ukraine without Ukraine itself involved, and the Ukrainian people deserve a secure future.”
However, Trump remarked on the Brian Kilmeade Show on Fox News Radio last Friday that Starmer and Macron “haven’t taken any action” to bring about an end to the Ukraine war.
“There is a clear parallel between the procession of leaders visiting Trump in Washington to persuade him and the earlier efforts in late 2021 and early 2022 to convince Putin not to invade Ukraine,” Giles noted.
In November 2021, then-CIA Director William Burns visited Moscow to discuss US-Russia relations, and in February of the following year, Macron and UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace traveled to Russia in an attempt to persuade Putin to lessen tensions with Ukraine.
How widespread is the support for Ukraine?
As Ukraine commemorates the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion, numerous leaders are present in Kyiv to demonstrate their support.
Among those in attendance were European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who were welcomed by Andrii Sybiha, Ukraine’s foreign minister, and Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to Zelenskyy.
Additionally, Costa, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, and Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal were seen in Kyiv on Monday.
Local reports indicate that Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson are also in the Ukrainian capital.
“It is essential to clarify: a free and sovereign Ukraine serves not only European interests but the interests of the entire world,” von der Leyen stated in a post on X.
