News Feed

France to host second summit on Ukraine, European security, Reuters reports

1 min read
France to host second summit on Ukraine, European security, Reuters reports
French President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a press conference at the end of the international conference aimed at strengthening Western support for Ukraine, at the Elysee presidential palace in Paris, on February 26, 2024. (Gonzalo Fuentes/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

France plans to host another high-level meeting on Feb. 19 to discuss Ukraine and European security, expanding participation to countries left out of the initial summit, Reuters reported on Feb. 18, citing diplomatic sources.

French President Emmanuel Macron convened the first Paris summit on Feb. 17, bringing together leaders from Europe's largest nations and Britain, as well as NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and top EU officials.

The talks focused on Ukraine's security, its potential NATO membership, and Europe's broader defense strategy.

According to Reuters, Paris has now invited additional European countries and Canada to join the upcoming meeting, either in person or via video link.

The expanded guest list includes Norway, Canada, the Baltic states, the Czech Republic, Greece, Finland, Romania, Sweden, and Belgium.

The move follows recent U.S.-Russia negotiations in Saudi Arabia, marking the first direct talks between Washington and Moscow since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The Russian delegation, led by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other officials.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky postponed his planned visit to Saudi Arabia, reiterating that no decisions about Ukraine's future should be made without Kyiv's involvement.

The role of European nations in the negotiations with Russia remains unclear. Trump's special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, previously said that Europe would not be directly involved in the talks but assured that its interests would be considered.

Video thumbnail
Avatar
Tim Zadorozhnyy

News Editor

Tim Zadorozhnyy is a news editor at The Kyiv Independent. Based in Warsaw, he is pursuing studies in International Relations, focusing on European Studies. Tim began his career at a local television channel in Odesa. After moving to Warsaw, he joined the Belarusian opposition media outlet NEXTA, starting as a news anchor and later advancing to the position of managing editor.

Read more
News Feed

The Vatican confirmed that Pope Leo received Metropolitan Anthony, the senior Russian Orthodox Church cleric who chairs its department of external church relations, along with five other high-profile clerics, during a morning audience on July 26.

Show More