UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has expressed his willingness to send British troops to Ukraine if the situation demands it, as European leaders prepare for a high-level meeting in Paris on Monday to discuss the evolving security landscape.
Calling it a “once-in-a-generation moment,” Starmer underscored the necessity of securing Europe and the UK’s role in ensuring stability. “Any role in helping to guarantee Ukraine’s security is helping to guarantee the security of our continent, and the security of this country,” he wrote in the Daily Telegraph on Sunday.
The Paris meeting comes amid a dramatic shift in US foreign policy, with President Donald Trump recently engaging in direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin about ending the war, sidelining Ukraine and its European allies. Trump has indicated he may meet with Putin “very soon,” prompting European leaders to reassess their approach to regional security.
Trump has also voiced confidence in Putin’s willingness to end the conflict, while his administration has signaled a reduced focus on Europe as a security priority. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has further suggested that Ukraine is unlikely to join NATO or reclaim all the territory it has lost since 2014.
The Paris summit will be attended by leaders from the UK, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands, and Denmark, along with European Council President Antonio Costa, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. The French presidency has confirmed that discussions will center on “the situation in Ukraine” and “security in Europe.”
“Because of the acceleration of the Ukrainian issue, and as a result of what US leaders are saying, there is a need for Europeans to do more, better, and in a coherent way for our collective security,” an adviser from French President Emmanuel Macron’s office stated.
US-Russia Talks Loom Amid European Concerns
Meanwhile, the Kremlin has pushed for upcoming negotiations between US and Russian officials in Saudi Arabia, aiming to address not just the Ukraine conflict but broader European security matters. European governments worry that Putin may reiterate his pre-2022 invasion demands, which included limiting NATO forces in Eastern Europe and reducing US military involvement on the continent.
‘Not a One-Meeting Thing’
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has sought to temper expectations regarding any immediate breakthrough in the upcoming negotiations with Russia.
“A process towards peace is not a one-meeting thing,” Rubio told CBS on Sunday. “Nothing’s been finalized yet,” he added, explaining that the objective is to create an opening for a broader conversation “that would include Ukraine and would involve the end of the war.”
Rubio is scheduled to travel to Saudi Arabia on Monday as part of a broader Middle East tour, which began over the weekend in Israel.
Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, has stated that while European nations will not be directly involved in negotiations, they will still have “input.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has renewed his call for the creation of a European army, arguing that the continent can no longer depend on Washington for defense.
Last week, the foreign ministers of France, Germany, and Spain reaffirmed that any “just and lasting peace” in Ukraine must involve Kyiv and its European partners.
