What did European leaders agree on in London?

^{Photo: Justin Tallis - WPA Pool}
He attended a summit of European leaders hosted by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and then met with King Charles III at his Sandringham residence.

What did European leaders agree on?

The main goal of the summit was to develop "a plan for how to end the war," said its organizer, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

He said the plan would then be discussed with the United States and then "implemented together."

The meeting participants agreed on the following four steps:

• Continue to provide military assistance to Ukraine while the war is ongoing and increase economic pressure on Russia;
  
• Any lasting peace must ensure Ukraine's sovereignty and security and have Ukraine at the negotiating table;
  
• If a peace agreement is reached, European leaders will work to prevent Russia from invading Ukraine in the future;
  
• A "coalition of the willing" will be created to protect Ukraine and ensure peace in the country.
  

Keir Starmer also confirmed the UK's commitment to supporting the efforts of European countries "with boots on the ground and planes in the air."

He stressed that “Europe needs to work hard,” but also noted that the agreement needed US support, saying: “I must be clear: we agree with Trump on the urgent need to build a lasting peace. Now we need to do it together.”

“I do not agree with the idea that the US is an unreliable ally, there are no two countries that are as close to each other as we are,” the prime minister said in response to questions from the media. According to him, the summit participants are well aware that “this is a plan that is being developed together with the US and with the help of the US.” “That is why I spoke to Trump last night,” he said.

At a press conference following the summit in London, the British prime minister said that the leaders had agreed to meet again in the near future to “maintain the momentum” and continue working on a common plan.

“Today we are at a crossroads in history. "Now is not the time for unnecessary talk - it is time to act and unite around a new plan for a just and lasting peace," he said.

Working for the best, preparing for the worst

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called the summit of European leaders in London a "good and open debate."

According to her, the leaders discussed the need for comprehensive security guarantees for Kiev, including providing Ukraine with a strong position and the means to "consolidate and defend" this position.

According to the European Commission President, this is about both Ukraine's economic and military stability.

Von der Leyen said that "we need to strengthen defense, to take a big step forward," adding that the European Union needed a clear plan and a pan-European approach.

“It is very important for us to increase security spending now, to prepare for the worst,” he said.

He also addressed US President Donald Trump from London, saying: “We are ready to defend democracy together with you, to defend the rule of law, which states that it is not permissible to invade a neighboring state or change borders by force.”

“It is in our common interest to prevent future wars,” he added.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who also attended the meeting, also confirmed that many European countries should increase their defense spending and that this would restore a “fair balance with the United States.”

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also attended the summit. He offered Turkey as a venue for peace talks between Ukraine and Russia.

The leaders of the Baltic states were not invited to the summit. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer apologized to the presidents of Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia during a video conference and promised to correct the mistake in future meetings, acknowledging the role of the Baltic states in supporting Ukraine.

“Europe has woken up.” Leaders’ reactions to the summit results

“Europe has woken up,” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk wrote after the summit of European leaders in London. According to Tusk, the participants were unanimous in their support for Ukraine, the need for transatlantic cooperation and strengthening the eastern border.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stressed that “peace in Ukraine cannot be allowed to be temporary.”

“We have to be very careful in assessing what is being proposed, especially when it comes to answering the fundamental question of whether it can disrupt peace. Because, unfortunately, we have seen it happen in the past,” the Italian prime minister said.

Outgoing German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that the “transatlantic alliance” in NATO remains “key to the security” of the United States, Canada and Europe. He noted that the alliance has been “strengthened in recent years by new members and defense spending” and that this “will continue in the future.”

Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof said that Europe “must play a greater role in ensuring the security of the continent,” adding that “good transatlantic relations are also necessary.”

No suit to meet the king

^{Zelensky was again without a suit during his meeting with King Charles III. Photo: PA Media}
After the summit, Zelensky met with King Charles III of Great Britain. Journalists once again paid attention to his attire - this time, as the Ukrainian president did during his visit to the United States, he did not wear a suit.

Both before and after the discussion in the Oval Office, Donald Trump himself and some journalists objected to this, calling it "disrespectful to the Oval Office."

King Charles III, however, apparently did not see any problem with this, commentators noted after the meeting. Follow “Zamin” news on “Telegram”