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| European leaders rush to US to help Ukraine avoid 'capitulation’ | European leaders rush to US to help Ukraine avoid 'capitulation’ |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Starmer and Macron - pictured with Zelensky in May - are among the European leaders in Washington | |
| European leaders may have rushed to Washington ostensibly to throw a protective arm around President Zelensky and head off any repeat of February's Oval Office bust-up. | European leaders may have rushed to Washington ostensibly to throw a protective arm around President Zelensky and head off any repeat of February's Oval Office bust-up. |
| But their real aim is to stop US President Donald Trump threatening long-term European security after his abrupt change of course over how best to end the war in Ukraine. | But their real aim is to stop US President Donald Trump threatening long-term European security after his abrupt change of course over how best to end the war in Ukraine. |
| Not only did Trump drop calls for a ceasefire as a prerequisite for talks about long-term peace, he also - diplomats say - made clear he had no intention of imposing further economic sanctions on Russia. | Not only did Trump drop calls for a ceasefire as a prerequisite for talks about long-term peace, he also - diplomats say - made clear he had no intention of imposing further economic sanctions on Russia. |
| In short, the travelling European heads of government – plus EU and Nato leaders - want to avoid not just confrontation, but also capitulation. | In short, the travelling European heads of government – plus EU and Nato leaders - want to avoid not just confrontation, but also capitulation. |
| President Macron of France was the latest to use the C word, saying on Sunday: "There is only one state proposing a peace that would be a capitulation: Russia." | President Macron of France was the latest to use the C word, saying on Sunday: "There is only one state proposing a peace that would be a capitulation: Russia." |
| Follow live updates on this story | Follow live updates on this story |
| It takes a great deal for heads of government to upend their schedules at short notice – especially in August – when some are on holiday. | It takes a great deal for heads of government to upend their schedules at short notice – especially in August – when some are on holiday. |
| The French leader was enjoying water sports on the Riviera. The Italian leader, Giorgia Meloni, had been in Greece. | |
| But such was the scale of President Trump's change of strategy after meeting President Putin – and the consequent potential threat to Europe – that the European leaders changed their plans fast. | But such was the scale of President Trump's change of strategy after meeting President Putin – and the consequent potential threat to Europe – that the European leaders changed their plans fast. |
| Officials say Meloni was first to invite herself along, followed closely by Macron, after which it became inevitable others would have to go too. | Officials say Meloni was first to invite herself along, followed closely by Macron, after which it became inevitable others would have to go too. |
| The leaders spent the weekend working the phones, holding no fewer than five separate group chats. | The leaders spent the weekend working the phones, holding no fewer than five separate group chats. |
| Their concern was Trump's decision to change the diplomatic goal posts after meeting the Russian leader in Alaska. | Their concern was Trump's decision to change the diplomatic goal posts after meeting the Russian leader in Alaska. |
| Some officials think the huge impact of these two decisions – which overturned months of western strategy – has been under-priced. Both moves shifted the US position more closely in Russia's favour. | Some officials think the huge impact of these two decisions – which overturned months of western strategy – has been under-priced. Both moves shifted the US position more closely in Russia's favour. |
| "Things have moved very significantly and quite quickly to a timetable that no one was expecting," one European official said. | "Things have moved very significantly and quite quickly to a timetable that no one was expecting," one European official said. |
| "The US sees this as a moment to strike while the iron is hot. Our question is what are we trying to achieve here?" | "The US sees this as a moment to strike while the iron is hot. Our question is what are we trying to achieve here?" |
| They added: "The European position has long been that Putin needs to show a genuine desire to get around a table and stop the war, and that would involve a ceasefire. But since Friday we have moved on from that. The question now is how we can get out of today without a blow-up. This is a moment of extreme jeopardy." | They added: "The European position has long been that Putin needs to show a genuine desire to get around a table and stop the war, and that would involve a ceasefire. But since Friday we have moved on from that. The question now is how we can get out of today without a blow-up. This is a moment of extreme jeopardy." |
| The aim for European leaders, diplomats say, is to shift White House thinking on two issues. | The aim for European leaders, diplomats say, is to shift White House thinking on two issues. |
| One, the idea that peace can be achieved simply by Ukraine ceding the Donbas to Russia. And two, that this is not just about the future of Ukraine. | One, the idea that peace can be achieved simply by Ukraine ceding the Donbas to Russia. And two, that this is not just about the future of Ukraine. |
| "This is fundamentally about the security of our continent," one British diplomat said. | "This is fundamentally about the security of our continent," one British diplomat said. |
| In other words, any discussion about security guarantees – as part of a final deal – would be about ensuring the wider security of Europe and not just Ukraine. | In other words, any discussion about security guarantees – as part of a final deal – would be about ensuring the wider security of Europe and not just Ukraine. |
| That means convincing Trump of two things: one, that questions about territory and security guarantees cannot be separated, and two, that security guarantees must be about more than verbal or textual promises. | That means convincing Trump of two things: one, that questions about territory and security guarantees cannot be separated, and two, that security guarantees must be about more than verbal or textual promises. |
| US negotiators have talked about giving Ukraine as yet ill-defined Nato-style assurances that the west would come to Kyiv's aid against future Russian aggression. | US negotiators have talked about giving Ukraine as yet ill-defined Nato-style assurances that the west would come to Kyiv's aid against future Russian aggression. |
| "Nobody is clear what Trump means about a security guarantee," one official said. | "Nobody is clear what Trump means about a security guarantee," one official said. |
| "He believes that him simply saying to Putin "don't attack" is enough. That's not good enough for Ukraine or us." | "He believes that him simply saying to Putin "don't attack" is enough. That's not good enough for Ukraine or us." |
| Trump dropped calls for a ceasefire as a condition for talks about long-term peace after meeting Putin in Alaska last week | Trump dropped calls for a ceasefire as a condition for talks about long-term peace after meeting Putin in Alaska last week |
| The Europeans, instead, are expected to argue that Ukraine's security will be guaranteed only by allowing its army to remain strong, with long-term and substantial allied military and financial support. | The Europeans, instead, are expected to argue that Ukraine's security will be guaranteed only by allowing its army to remain strong, with long-term and substantial allied military and financial support. |
| That would include American weapons bought by Europeans and gifted to Ukraine, plus continued Ukrainian access to US intelligence. | That would include American weapons bought by Europeans and gifted to Ukraine, plus continued Ukrainian access to US intelligence. |
| By definition, all that would exclude Russian demands for the demilitarisation of Ukraine. | By definition, all that would exclude Russian demands for the demilitarisation of Ukraine. |
| The risk for the Europeans today is that they push Trump too hard, that he thinks he is being bullied, and that the meetings go badly. | The risk for the Europeans today is that they push Trump too hard, that he thinks he is being bullied, and that the meetings go badly. |
| The European delegation has been thrown together at the last minute. | The European delegation has been thrown together at the last minute. |
| It is – one official said – "quite unwieldy", and some differ on how much Europe should commit to Ukraine's future security. | It is – one official said – "quite unwieldy", and some differ on how much Europe should commit to Ukraine's future security. |
| What role a future European-based "reassurance" force might play in a post-conflict Ukraine remains unclear. | What role a future European-based "reassurance" force might play in a post-conflict Ukraine remains unclear. |
| So the European aim today may be to slow things down and calm fevered talk about land-swap deals that should really be part of the endgame of a negotiation. | So the European aim today may be to slow things down and calm fevered talk about land-swap deals that should really be part of the endgame of a negotiation. |
| To some, that would be putting the cart before the horse. | To some, that would be putting the cart before the horse. |
| Instead, the European leaders may look for progress on a possible trilateral summit with Trump, Zelensky and Putin; the carving out of some broad principles of any future deal; and how to have talks about talks deciding the location and framework of any negotiations. | Instead, the European leaders may look for progress on a possible trilateral summit with Trump, Zelensky and Putin; the carving out of some broad principles of any future deal; and how to have talks about talks deciding the location and framework of any negotiations. |
| And above all, whether this can happen only when a ceasefire of sorts has been agreed. | And above all, whether this can happen only when a ceasefire of sorts has been agreed. |