Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and French President Emmanuel Macron shook hands at the Chancellery of the Prime Minister in Warsaw, Poland, on Thursday, as reported by REUTERS.
Prime Minister Tusk stated on Thursday that Poland has no intention of deploying troops to neighboring Ukraine, amid rumors that Western nations might consider sending forces if a ceasefire is achieved with Russia. Tusk made these remarks following discussions in Warsaw with President Macron, part of a diplomatic initiative by European leaders to show US President-elect Donald Trump that they are committed to sharing the responsibility of ending the nearly three-year conflict in Ukraine. Trump has expressed his desire for an immediate ceasefire and negotiations to resolve the ongoing conflict.
"To dispel speculation about the potential involvement of various countries in Ukraine following a ceasefire... decisions regarding Poland will be made in Warsaw and solely in Warsaw," Tusk declared. "At present, we have no plans for such actions." Macron emphasized that it is up to Ukraine to determine what concessions it is willing to make for peace but also highlighted the necessity for Europeans to take charge of the continent's security, a matter brought into sharp focus by Trump's impending return to the White House. Trump has frequently criticized European allies for not investing sufficiently in defense and for being overly reliant on the US.
"There can be no security in Europe without the involvement of Europeans," Macron stated, standing alongside Tusk. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was not present at the Warsaw talks but confirmed on Thursday in Berlin that he was in continuous contact with Tusk and Macron. A German government source indicated that discussions about ground troops as part of security guarantees for Ukraine were "somewhat premature."
Foreign and finance ministers from France, Germany, and Poland convened on Thursday, in Berlin and Warsaw respectively, just weeks before Poland assumes the EU presidency from Hungary. In Berlin, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock noted that she and her European counterparts concurred that Ukraine required "robust security guarantees." "This entails long-term military and financial backing for Ukraine," she added. The finance ministers examined ways to enhance immediate financial support for Ukraine and how Europe can bolster defense financing, including through shared debt, despite Germany's continued opposition to such collective efforts.
"It is... evident that defense financing remains a national responsibility," German Finance Minister Joerg Kukies stated at a news conference in Warsaw. "We already possess specific financing mechanisms for European defense cooperation. It is crucial that there are boundaries to what is economically feasible and legally permissible in this domain."
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