United Kingdom, France, and Ukraine are working on a peace plan that they will present to the United States, as stated by the British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, to the BBC. The project, which is not yet finalized, may involve one or two more European countries, which the Prime Minister has not identified.
The plan is the European reaction to the disastrous meeting between the Ukrainian and American presidents, Volodimir Zelenski and Donald Trump, on Friday, which has prompted the urgent summit being held this Sunday in London, where the peace project could receive its final endorsement. The meeting is a kind of "coalition of the willing," to use the propagandistic term coined by the George W. Bush administration to refer to its allies in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The expression has also been used by Starmer on this occasion.
At the meeting, held at Lancaster House in central London, a total of 16 countries participated, including the United Kingdom and Ukraine. Twelve of them are from the European Union (Spain, France, Italy, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Czech Republic, Poland, Germany, and Romania), and there are two others that are not part of the bloc but are part of NATO: Canada and Turkey. Also in attendance were the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Council, António Costa, and the Secretary-General of NATO, Mark Rutte.
Welcoming these leaders, Starmer stated that "this is a unique moment" for Europe's security and emphasized the importance of achieving a positive outcome for Ukraine. Several attendees highlighted a message of unity alongside Ukraine.
The details of the plan, still under discussion, have not been revealed. However, its mere existence holds significant geopolitical significance. In contrast to the negotiations (if one can accept that term, given that these are a list of demands from Vladimir Putin that Donald Trump is accepting without objection) between the US and Russia, the EU has admitted Ukraine, one of the contenders, into its agreement. This allows, at the very least, the views of the weaker party, which is also the aggressive one, to be taken into consideration.
Starmer welcomes Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski.Toby MelvilleAP
Once the plan is finalized, the real test will come when it is presented to the United States. The fact that Starmer had a meeting earlier this week in which, although he did not secure commitments from the US to Ukraine, he did at least reach commercial agreements, indicates that the British Prime Minister has some connection with Trump. Starmer has also been praised by US Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth.
A key country to sell the plan is Italy. The Prime Minister of that country, Giorgia Meloni, has a good relationship with Trump, not only from a political perspective but also on a personal level. Meloni met with Starmer this Sunday, just before the summit began. The Italian Prime Minister, who governs with the support of right-wing populists 'Trumpists,' has advocated for a summit between the European Union and the United States on Ukraine to break the deadlock. Meloni could be a good salesperson for a potential European plan to Trump.
However, there are still many doubts and uncertainties surrounding the summit and the initiative. Firstly, European leaders consider it essential for Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski to mend his relationship with Trump, which is completely shattered. The issue is that Trump is not someone who easily forgets grievances, real or imagined, and humility does not seem to be among Zelenski's virtues either.
The French President, Emmanuel Macron, has also emphasized a conciliatory tone by stating that "the manifest destiny of the United States is with Ukraine." The term "manifest destiny" carries enormous symbolism in the United States, as it justified its expansion to the West and the conquest of what is now its territory.
"We are meeting today because this is a unique moment in a generation for Europe's security, and we all must step forward," and achieving a positive outcome for Ukraine "is vital for the security of all nations here and many others," added the Prime Minister, with the French President Emmanuel Macron seated to his right and the Ukrainian President to his left.
Lastly, there is the issue of time. Russia and the United States are still negotiating, so Starmer, Macron, and Zelenski will need to act quickly to present something to Washington that could be acceptable to a White House fully leaning towards the Kremlin. It is not unlikely that concessions in trade may be demanded in exchange for a green light, whether for an original or modified version of the European plan.
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom has announced a new military aid package to Ukraine, worth £2.26 billion, approximately ¤2.75 billion. Next Thursday, the EU may decide on an investment of hundreds of billions of euros in its own defense and military cooperation with Ukraine, which would be the first step towards building European defense.