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08-03-2025
BRUSSELS: French President Emmanuel Macron says Europe must be ready against the Russian threat, in case its traditional ally, the United States, is no longer by its side.
European Union leaders hold emergency talks in Brussels, the first summit of 27 nations since the explosive meeting last week between US President Donald Trump and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is also expected to attend.
The Trump administration has suspended intelligence-sharing with Ukraine, a decision that could have dire consequences on the war’s front lines.
Moscow views comments by Macron about extending France’s nuclear deterrent to European partners as a “threat”, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday.
Meanwhile, The Baltic country, which borders the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad and close Russian ally Belarus, has withdrawn from the agreement not to use missiles and bombs that burst in the air, indiscriminately scattering smaller explosives.
Speaking on Lithuanian radio, Dovile Sakaliene, said the withdrawal was meant to send a “strategic message” that Lithuania was prepared to “use absolutely everything” if necessary.
More than 120 countries have signed the convention, which prohibits the acquisition, use and production of the weapons. However, Lithuania, which joined the agreement in 2008, has noted that no countries bordering Russia have joined.
However, the top US diplomat has caused a stir when he described the conflict in Ukraine as a “proxy war” between the US and Russia.
“Frankly, it’s a proxy war between nuclear powers, the United States, helping Ukraine, and Russia and it needs to come to an end. … The plan of the Ukrainians up to now and their allies on Capitol Hill and the people you talk to in other countries is, ‘Let’s just keep giving them as much as they need for as long as it takes.’ That’s not a strategy.
“On the Russian side, obviously, they struggled early on in this conflict. They’re a bigger country. They’ve made some progress but by no means are the Russians running away with it either. So it’s a stalemated conflict. … All the president [Trump] is trying to do here is figure out if there’s a path towards peace. We have to engage both sides, the Russians and the Ukrainians. And we asked the Ukrainians not to sabotage it.”
Outgoing German Chancellor Olaf Scholz again rejects any “dictated peace” in Ukraine as several European countries pledge more weapons for Ukraine during a summit in Brussels.
Ukrainian opposition leaders reject the notion of holding wartime elections after media reports of contacts with Trump officials.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says any European peacekeeping force sent to Ukraine would be regarded as the official involvement of NATO in the war.
The Kremlin also condemns French President Emmanuel Macron’s warning on Wednesday of what he calls Russia’s threat to Europe and the need for unity.
The Reuters news agency reports that Trump is planning to revoke the legal status for Ukrainian refugees who have fled to the US.
British officials held talks on Wednesday with about 20 countries, mostly European and Commonwealth parties, interested in contributing to a so-called ‘coalition of the willing’ to support Ukraine, media quoted a UK official as saying.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Sunday that the UK, France and some other nations would form a coalition to draw up plans to offer Ukraine support in the event of a peace deal to end Russia’s war. (Int’l Monitoring Desk)
