The Associated Press /
French President Emmanuel Macron walks with Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni as she leaves the Elysee Palace after an informal meeting of leaders from key European Union nations and the United Kingdom in Paris Monday.
PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron painted a veneer of European unity by inviting a small number of handpicked European leaders to the Elysee Palace, while the Trump administration sidelined the continent by moving ahead with direct negotiations on Tuesday with Russia on the war in Ukraine.
One question loomed: Could Europe take charge of its own security, or would it remain reactive to U.S. and Russian decisions?
From Macron’s push for European-led defense to Keir Starmer’s “third way” diplomacy, Giorgia Meloni’s balancing act between Brussels and Washington, and Olaf Scholz’s resistance to breaking with NATO, Europe remains divided on its next move.
By hosting the Monday summit in his Parisian palace, Macron reinforced his bid to become the dominant voice on Ukraine and European security. With Germany’s Scholz politically weakened and potentially soon out of office, the U.K. outside the EU, and Italy leaning toward Trump, Macron has emerged as the bloc’s de facto leader in a push for strategic autonomy.
Macron has a presidential mandate until 2027 and France’s nuclear arsenal makes it the EU’s only atomic power. His proposal for European “security guarantees” fits into his broader push for a continent less dependent on Washington.
But forging consensus is proving difficult: Germany is resisting, key frontline EU nations were left out of the summit, and Trump’s unpredictability clouds Europe’s security outlook.
“Macron has sought to impose himself as Europe’s strongman,” said French political analyst Jean-Yves Camus.
Keir Starmer is charting a different course, positioning himself as Europe’s key link to Washington — while maintaining a firm pro-Ukraine stance.
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Publish date : 2025-02-18 21:44:00
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