European Leaders Met in London to Provide Military Support to Zelenskiy.

The British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, highlighted the importance of European leaders "stepping up," at a meeting held in London today. 

The goal of this meeting was to strengthen military cooperation and reaffirm support for Ukraine in its war against Russia. Starmer emphasized that achieving a good outcome for Ukraine is "vital for the security of every nation here and many others as well."

The summit was attended by more than a dozen European leaders, as well as the presidents of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenski, and France, Emmanuel Macron, who were present in the official photo marking the start of the talks.

The event took place two days after negotiations between the United States President, Donald Trump, and Zelenski failed. Trump harshly criticized Zelenski for not showing even a bit of gratitude for the American support.

In this context, the London summit focused on discussing the creation of a European military force that could be sent to Ukraine to support a lasting ceasefire and ensure that Ukraine re-arms its military arsenal.  

Additionally, European leaders also agreed to prioritize increasing economic pressure on Russia to strengthen Ukraine's position in the conflict.

Among the attendees at the event were representatives from Germany, Denmark, Italy, Türkiye, NATO, and the European Union. The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, stated that Europe urgently needed to re-arm and that member states should have the necessary fiscal space to increase their defense investments.

Von der Leyen also vaguely indicated that Europe needed to show the United States that it was ready to defend democracy. "After a long time of underinvestment, it is now of utmost importance to increase defense investment over a prolonged period," said the Commission President.

European diplomats were initially trying to salvage the agreement with the United States, but alternatives were also discussed, due to Zelenski's high demands. 

One of the proposals that emerged was Italy's suggestion to organize a summit between the EU and the United States, an idea supported by the Polish Prime Minister, Donald Tusk.

Additionally, Türkiye's Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan, proposed that Türkiye lead peace talks between Russia and Ukraine under Turkish auspices.

However, one of the biggest fears among NATO members is that Trump could withdraw American troops from several European countries after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Peter Zalmayev, Executive Director of the Eurasia Democracy Initiative, opined that now is the time for more countries to join the United Kingdom and France in committing to offer more security guarantees.

"I hope they do, because if Europe doesn't wake up now, it never will," Zalmayev stated from Kyiv. He emphasized that the situation required concrete actions and creative solutions, even if they sometimes went against traditional norms of financial transactions.

This meeting in the United Kingdom comes ahead of a summit in Brussels, to be held on Thursday, where the European Commission will present a defense package for Europe, which will include support for Ukraine.

Ukraine's European allies are also seeking to address growing concerns about Trump's proper approach to negotiations with Russia, an approach many fear could weaken Kyiv's position.

Zelenski arrived in London on Saturday, where he was received by Starmer. The two leaders embraced and announced a $2.84 billion loan agreement to strengthen Ukraine's defense capabilities, funded with the profits from frozen Russian assets.

Zelenski's visit to London followed a tense meeting at the White House, where Trump and Vice President Vance criticized the Ukrainian leader for rejecting the terms of a proposed ceasefire and accused him of ingratitude. Trump also warned that Zelenski's stance could risk escalating the conflict into a global war.

Despite this heated exchange, Zelenski indicated that Ukraine remains open to dialogue with the United States. "Despite the difficult discussions, we remain strategic partners," the Ukrainian President wrote on platform X after his meeting with Trump. He added that "honesty and frankness are essential to understanding our shared goals."

The American President has positioned himself as a mediator between Putin and Zelenski, sidestepping traditional diplomatic channels in an effort that represents the best attempt to end the conflict. 

Last week, Trump claimed that "significant progress" had been made toward a peace agreement in Ukraine, although the details remain unclear.

However, as Zelenski left the White House, Trump took to social media to declare that the Ukrainian was not "ready for peace if the United States is involved."

Following the confrontation, European leaders rushed to offer their support to the Ukrainian leader. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stated that Kyiv's allies must ensure that Ukraine has a strong army when the war ends.

"The foundation of everything will be a strong army," Scholz told reporters after the European leaders' meeting in London. He remarked that there was no doubt about who is responsible for the conflict in his view: "Ukraine is the attacked country, the victim of Russian aggression."

The summit in London also included the participation of the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, who reaffirmed Spain's support for Ukraine.

In statements published by Spanish media, Sánchez stated that Ukrainians "are not only defending their freedom, but also the security of all Europeans."