French President Emmanuel Macron said in Dublin that without the European countries there is no support for Ukraine and that the United States is no longer providing such support. He made the statement to journalists ahead of the summit of the European Political Community.
“What we do with Ukraine matters, and we must clearly continue to support it. Without the Europeans, there is no support for Ukraine. Let us be honest,” Macron said, quoted by Irish Examiner. According to him, the countries of the “Coalition of the Willing” represented at the meeting provide around 80-90% of its contribution.
Put this way, Macron’s statement contradicts the claim that American support for Ukraine has not stopped. The French president pointed specifically to the lack of American support and called on European countries to take greater responsibility for the security of the continent.
Zelensky called for a permanent European seat at the talks
Leaders from more than 40 European countries gathered in Dublin, with Europe’s security and the war in Ukraine among the leading topics. The meeting took place against the backdrop of US-backed diplomatic efforts to revive talks between Kyiv and Moscow.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for Europe to be given a permanent seat at the negotiating table. He said that European countries are already involved in the diplomatic efforts, but still do not participate directly in all discussions with the Russian side.
“We must ensure that Europe becomes a permanent part of these talks,” Zelensky said.He said that in Dublin he would speak with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner following their meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. According to Zelensky, the talks had been serious, but it remains to be seen whether they will lead to tangible progress.
Kyiv called for weapons and progress on the path to the EU
Zelensky also outlined Ukraine’s immediate needs: additional air defence missiles, ammunition for F-16 fighter jets and equipment to restore damaged energy infrastructure.
The Ukrainian president called on European leaders to support the opening of the remaining negotiating clusters for the country’s membership of the European Union. He also called for new sanctions against Russian weapons production, oil exports and financial institutions.
Alongside the diplomatic efforts, Moscow rejected the possibility of Western troops being deployed in Ukraine as part of a future peace agreement. Vladimir Putin said that such forces would be a “legitimate target” for Russia.
Sources: irishexaminer.com, apnews.com