It will not be said that l’Ukraine will have been left alone when Vladimir Poutine Parade on Red Square in Moscow Surrounded by around twenty foreign leaders, from Chinese Xi Jinping to Brazilian Lula by passing, alas, by Slovak Fico (member of the European Union). At dawn, this Saturday, May 10, a special train from Poland is due to enter kyiv station. On board, at the end of a long night trip to the country at war, the president Emmanuel Macronthe New German Chancellor Friedrich MerzBritish Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Their Polish counterpart, Donald Tusk – which has just signed a Franco-Polish friendship in Nancy – came with his own train.
The signal is strong: while Donald Trump call to an unconditional 30-day ceasefirethreats of sanctions against Moscow in support, the heavy goods vehicles of the old continent, encouraging the American proposal, come to demonstrate their intangible support for Volodymyr Zelensky. This is the first time that these European officials have been there together. Objective: to allow Ukrainians to tackle the discussions that could open in the strongest possible position … provided that the Kremlin finally accepts a cease-fire that can lead to peace negotiations.
The puzzle of the organization of the appointment
The displacement was not easy to assemble. First, the security imperatives in a country at war, where the Ukrainian sky remains at the mercy of Russian missiles and drones. Thus, until the last moment-the crossing of the Polono-Ukrainian border, in the middle of the night, by the railway convoy-, the “Secret-Defense” was to be kept.
Yet, Zelensky Lui-Rême Avait Side Venong to Me Friday Atnès, announcing for this Saturday a summit “in Ukraine the leaders of the coalition of volunteers”. Admittedly, he was careful not to appoint the leaders concerned, but The coalition being co -piloted by Macron and Starmerthings seemed quite clear …
Questioned at a press conference in Nancy, Emmanuel Macron, however, confirmed anything. “For lots of reasons, we rarely talk about it before,” he replied, while reiterating that in “useful time” he would go to kyiv.
Then, it was necessary to compose with the agendas of each other, and also with their determination to make the trip. Tuesday, the suspense election in the Bundestag (Parliamentary Assembly) of Merz as Chancellor gave cold sweats in Paris: and if the device had to be reviewed? In total, a real headache for the various protocol services, which still planned, the day before the summit, on the progress of a long and dense day in kyiv, with events in several places.
“We call on Russia to accept a 30-day ceasefire”
It also needed a strong signal: three years ago, a similar journey had led in the capital at war A Franco-German-Italien trio (Macron, Olaf Scholz et Mario Draghi)which had solemnly acted for Ukraine’s candidacy for the European Union. This time, the exit of the war, and more specifically the security guarantees that Europeans could bring once the arms are killed, should be at the heart of the meeting (in addition to the leaders present in kyiv, others will be connected to videoconference).
Should we expect concrete announcements on this famous reinsurance force on which French and British staff have been working for months? Now that Trump seems determined to put pressure on Putin to speed up on a ceasefire, the coalition should be ready to deploy a military device to prevent new Russian attacks. “Alongside the United States, we call on Russia to accept a full and unconditional cease-fire of 30 days to allow talks for just and lasting peace,” supported the four Macron, Merz, Tusk and Starmer leaders in a statement.
But what device format? Terrestrial, air and sea, as envisaged at the start in the Franco-British plans? Only aerial and military, Moscow reiterating its refusal of any foreign armed presence in Ukraine? For the moment, at the dawn of the kyiv meeting, the vagueness reigns …
