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On 12 March, the defence ministers of the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Poland met in Paris and declared their readiness to take concrete steps to strengthen European defence and provide security guarantees to Ukraine. According to Reuters, the meeting was also attended by Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov.
A signal of support for Ukraine
The first round of talks focused on discussing aid to Ukraine. British Defence Secretary John Healey said that European countries were demonstrating a clear position:
“We will not back down from our support for Ukraine and the protection of our common values.”
As nuclear powers, France and the United Kingdom have recently been working closely together to gain wider support from European countries amid unpredictable changes in US policy.
Meetings in the Val de Grasse
The meetings took place at the former Val de Grasse military hospital, where representatives of the EU and NATO were also present. The main focus was on supporting Ukraine and developing security guarantees for a possible future peaceful settlement, including the involvement of European peacekeepers.
Changing defence approach in the West
US President Donald Trump’s efforts to establish closer relations with Russia and his desire to bring the war in Ukraine to a swift end have forced European countries to rethink their strategy. In response, they stepped up their support for Ukraine and announced the need for immediate rearmament.
Plans for long-term sustainability
Sources from the Elysee Palace said that after the meeting, French President Emmanuel Macron stressed the need to move from conceptual ideas to a concrete plan. According to him, reliable security guarantees should be defined to ensure a lasting peace in Ukraine.
This meeting was another step in the process of strengthening European defence cooperation and confirmed that Europe is ready to assume greater responsibility for stability in the region.
