The defence minister of France is set to meet with counterparts from Britain, Germany, Italy, and Poland next week to discuss their support for Ukraine, an aide revealed on Friday.
The meeting among the military leaders of Europe’s five primary powers will take place in Paris on Wednesday, just a day after a significant gathering of European military chiefs of staff hosted by France.
“In light of the recent decision by the U.S. to halt military aid to Ukraine, the ministers will focus on how our nations can coordinate actions to support Kyiv,” a source close to Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu, who preferred to remain anonymous, told AFP.
“They will also address the pressing need for Europe’s rearmament and for our respective nations, which is vital to ensure our collective security over the long term.”
Previously, the defence ministers of these five countries convened in Berlin in November and again in Poland in January.
With U.S. President Donald Trump engaging in direct discussions with Russian leader Vladimir Putin to bring an end to Russia’s ongoing invasion, European nations have been working diligently to enhance their support for Ukraine.
French President Emmanuel Macron has called for an increase in defence spending and has proposed extending France’s nuclear deterrent to include European partners as a response.
On Tuesday, France will organize discussions with military chiefs from nations prepared to provide military aid to Ukraine following any peace agreement that concludes the conflict with Russia, according to a source close to Macron.
During a televised address Wednesday evening, Macron confirmed that he would meet with the heads of the European armed forces next week, though details about which countries will be involved remain undisclosed.
The aim of these talks is to explore the potential deployment of European troops in Ukraine should a peace treaty be established, in order to ensure “compliance” with such an agreement, he stated.
– Gabbard expected in Paris –
U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard will also be present in Paris next week to meet with the French national intelligence coordinator, a source acquainted with the discussions confirmed, corroborating a report from the Intelligence Online (IOL) website.
The specifics of the discussions have not been disclosed.
Prior to her confirmation last month, Gabbard faced scrutiny due to her 2017 rendezvous with the ousted Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad and her promotion of Kremlin propaganda, particularly misleading conspiracy theories regarding the Ukraine war.
On Thursday, France announced that it was providing military intelligence to Ukraine, following the cessation of similar support from Washington.
A public clash occurred last week between Trump and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office, resulting in the suspension of essential U.S. military aid to Ukraine.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe mentioned on Wednesday that the United States had also “paused” its intelligence sharing with Ukraine.
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