An emergency meeting of key European leaders with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is taking place in London. The host of the summit, Prime Minister Keir Starmer, is welcoming French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and representatives of other EU countries. The goal of the talks is to coordinate a unified position on supporting Kyiv amid growing pressure from Washington to quickly achieve peace in Ukraine, which, according to European politicians, could be imposed on terms unfavorable to Kyiv.
The summit in Downing Street brought together not only the “big three” — Starmer, Macron, and Merz — but also representatives of the European Commission, the Council of the EU, and NATO. Zelensky arrived in London immediately after massive Russian strikes on the Ukrainian power grid, underscoring the urgency of the meeting. According to Macron in his morning address, “Russia is locked into an escalation strategy and is not seeking peace. We are going to London to confirm our unwavering support for Ukraine — this is a matter of security for the whole of Europe.”
The agenda includes several priorities:
Military aid: Increased arms supplies, including ammunition production in Ukraine. European Commissioner Ursula von der Leyen previously announced the €800 billion “ReArm Europe” plan to strengthen EU defense.
Security guarantees: Development of a European peacekeeping force mechanism for the post-conflict period. The coalition of the willing plans to deploy a contingent immediately after a comprehensive ceasefire to prevent new attacks by Russia.
Economic pressure on Russia: Discussion of using frozen Kremlin assets to finance Ukraine’s recovery. According to Bloomberg, the US is actively pressuring Europe not to “steal” these funds, but Europeans insist on “reparations loans.”
Coordination with the US: Leaders intend to form a “European-Ukrainian position” ahead of new rounds of talks in Washington, stressing that “peace without Europe’s participation would be a disaster.”
Experts note that the London summit is not only a reaction to Trump, but also a step towards European autonomy. It is expected that a joint statement on a “united European front” will be published following the meeting. This may include new EU sanctions against Russian LNG and the acceleration of F-16 and ATACMS deliveries from European stocks.
In the long term, the summit signals a reformatting of transatlantic relations: Europe is ready to “carry the heavy burden,” as Starmer said at the March summit, but only on its own terms. For Ukraine, this is a chance for a “decent peace,” where security is guaranteed not only by words, but also by troops.
While leaders negotiate at Lancaster House, the world waits for details. But one thing is clear: London is now the center of European resistance to pressure, where solidarity with Ukraine is coming to the fore.