Germany urges NATO unity following emergency meeting on Ukraine
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has ruled out any “division of security and responsibility between Europe” and the US. Speaking after an emergency meeting of NATO leaders in France on Monday, he spoke out against the idea that the US will not support Kiev alongside other Western nations.
The administration of US President Donald Trump is pursuing a peace deal with Russia aimed at swiftly ending the Ukraine conflict. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has stated that Washington does not foresee a role for American troops or NATO in any post-truce security arrangement for Ukraine.
Convened by French President Emmanuel Macron, the leaders’ gathering was aimed at establishing a unified European stance following the shift in US policy, though some dissenting EU members were notably absent. At a press conference after the meeting, Scholz was dismissive of questions regarding Germany’s potential troop commitments to Ukraine, calling them premature and irritating, while expressing confidence in NATO’s security framework.
US allies in Europe agree that “there must be no division of security and responsibility between Europe and the USA,” the chancellor told reporters. “NATO is based on the fact that we always act together and take risks together, thereby ensuring our security.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the UK is “ready and willing” to provide security guarantees to Ukraine, including sending British troops, before heading to Paris for the discussions.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated prior to the meeting, however, that his government has no intention of sending troops to Ukraine. After the summit, he stated that “such meetings do not end in decisions” and underscored the importance of close cooperation with the US.
Other officials attending the three-hour talks at the Elysee Palace included the leaders of Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Denmark, as well NATO and the EU. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, whose government is a longstanding critic of the West’s approach to the Ukraine conflict, compared the discussions negatively with the upcoming US-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia.
”We trust that the American-Russian negotiations will be successful, and we hope that this will lead to peace in Ukraine as soon as possible,” Szijjarto said on Monday, calling the Paris attendees “war-mongering countries that have pursued a misguided strategy.”
