March 15, 2024
Scholz, Macron and Tusk set for 1st ‘Weimar Triangle’ talks in Berlin
German ChancellorOlaf Scholz will welcome French President Emmanuel Macron in Berlin on Friday.
The meeting will be closely followed as it comes amid increased tensions between the two EU powers over how to assist Ukraine in its fight against Russian forces.
The leaders will be joined by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, marking the first meeting of the so-called Weimar Triangle, since Tusk became prime minister of Poland again in December.
The Weimar Triangle format, considered an important forum for coordination on European issues, saw its first ministerial meeting of the year in February.
Tensions spilled out into the open after Macron said in late February that while there was no consensus to currently send ground troops to Ukraine and that “nothing should be ruled out.”
Scholz shot back saying, “There will be no ground troops from European countries or NATO” in Ukraine. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius also echoed the chancellor’s statement earlier this month, “We don’t need really… talk about boots on the ground or having more courage or less courage.”
The trilateral talks are also set to take place amid the backdrop of stalled US military aid for Ukraine. It falls to Paris, Berlin and Warsaw “to mobilize all of Europe” to provide Ukraine with new aid, Tusk said earlier this week.
https://p.dw.com/p/4dXbc
March 15, 2024
EU foreign policy chief warns coming months will be ‘decisive’ for Ukraine war
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said after meetings in Washington that securing new support for Ukraine could not wait, since the war’s outcome would be decided this spring and summer.
“Whatever has to be done, it has to be done quickly,” Borrell told reporters when asked about his message for US lawmakers. A foreign aid bill containbillions of dollars in funding for Ukraine has yet to pass Congress.
“It’s true for us. We have to speed up. We have to increase our support, to do more and quicker. That’s why we are increasing our industrial defense capacities. And it is also true for the US,” Borrell said when asked about Europe’s efforts to support Ukraine’s war effort.
“The next months will be decisive. Many analysts expect a major Russian offensive this summer, and Ukraine cannot wait until the result of the next US elections,” he added.
rm/sms (Reuters, AP, AFP)
https://p.dw.com/p/4dXfp
