Zelensky calls for unity to “save Ukraine”

(Brussels) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday urged Europeans not to abandon his country and to demonstrate unity, including with the United States, a few weeks before Donald Trump’s return to the White House.

“I think that only together the United States and Europe can really stop [le président russe Vladimir] Putin and save Ukraine,” he insisted, shortly before speaking to EU leaders, gathered in Brussels for their last summit of the year.

Rarely, French President Emmanuel Macron is not participating in this European meeting: he flew Wednesday evening to Mayotte, a French archipelago in the Indian Ocean devastated by the cyclone. Desirewhere he arrived Thursday morning. He will be represented at the table of 27 by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, according to established practice.

This did not prevent him from meeting Volodymyr Zelensky in Brussels on Wednesday with whom he discussed his idea of ​​sending troops to Ukrainian soil, to guarantee a possible ceasefire, according to the Ukrainian president.

Sending troops

“We continued to work on President Macron’s initiative regarding the presence of troops in Ukraine, which could help stabilize the path to peace,” Mr. Zelensky said Wednesday evening on X.

This initiative is not unanimous in Europe. This amounts to “reversing” priorities, judged the head of the Belgian government Alexandre De Croo on Friday. “The priority is first to make sure that the Ukrainians win the war and push out the Russians and then we can talk about peace,” he said.

“Our friends, and even more so our enemies, will be watching closely how we continue to support Ukraine. Our support must therefore be unwavering,” warned the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday.

Mr. Zelensky participated on Wednesday evening with other European leaders, including those of Germany, Italy and Poland, in a meeting with the Secretary General of NATO. A “very good opportunity to talk about security guarantees for Ukraine, for today and tomorrow,” he said.

Before Donald Trump takes office on January 20, Europeans are seeking to send at least two messages: “no decision on Ukraine, without Ukraine,” and “no decision on Europe without Europeans.” , according to diplomats in Brussels.

Sidelined

The American billionaire promised to bring peace to Ukraine “in 24 hours”, causing concern among Europeans who fear being sidelined, and in Kyiv which does not want a “forced” peace.

The priority is that Ukraine “is not forced to accept a peace that would be dictated to it,” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz assured Wednesday on his arrival in Brussels. But on Friday, he also stressed the need to “stop the massacres” in Ukraine and to “put ourselves in a situation that makes peace possible”.

“Any pressure to start negotiations too early would be a bad thing for Ukraine,” warned the head of European diplomacy Kaja Kallas.

And while waiting for these possible peace negotiations, the Europeans also want to ensure that Ukraine will be in a position of strength.

The Europeans promise at least 30 billion in financial aid to Ukraine in 2025, a large part of which will allow it to buy weapons, diplomats assure.

They also want to help Ukraine get through the winter while Russia is shelling its energy infrastructure.

On Syria, where President Bashar al-Assad was ousted from power on December 8 by a coalition of Islamists, the leaders of the 27 will reaffirm the conditions for a resumption of their relations with Damascus, according to a draft conclusion of their summit.

The EU also wants to raise the question of the future of Russian military bases in Syria. Several member states are demanding that the new leaders in Damascus demand the departure of the Russians.