French President Emmanuel Macron has confirmed that a summit addressing the situation in Ukraine will be held next week in Paris, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in attendance.
The summit, scheduled for Thursday, will focus on the short-term support for Ukraine’s military, Macron announced following the first day of the European Council summit in Brussels.
Macron reiterated that their primary focus remains on Ukraine’s defense strategy and European security guarantees. He emphasized that discussions regarding security guarantees will only proceed once Russia and Ukraine have committed to a lasting ceasefire.
“It is legitimate for Ukraine, as a sovereign nation, to define what is necessary to ensure its security,” Macron stated, adding that they will continue to engage without yielding to excessive demands or provocations.
Furthermore, Macron highlighted Europe’s progress in operationalizing its defense decisions, underpinned by a “self-rearmament strategy.” He noted that Europe now has a comprehensive strategy for rearming itself and regaining full independence within the next five years. This includes reinforcing borders and maintaining neighborhood security.
The summit will also cover upcoming budget preparations to address challenges in defense, artificial intelligence, technology, and climate transition.
“We are at the end of a period where we benefited from the ‘peace dividend’ and could afford to neglect defense investments, assuming trade would resolve global conflicts,” Macron added, stressing that Europe’s previous security assurances have now been shaken.
