French President Emmanuel Macron initiated the Summit of European leaders in Paris, which will be held on Monday, February 17. The main goal of the meeting is to consolidate European efforts under security guarantees for Ukraine and insist on attracting European countries to international negotiations at the end of the war, which are now taking place without their participation. About this writes the British edition of The Guardian.

In particular, fears are caused by the upcoming summit in Riyadh, where for the first time in two years senior officials of the USA and Russia should meet. In Europe, they are concerned that the Kremlin may again try to impose neutrality and the concept of general separation between the United States and Russia with the consistent areas of influence.

According to French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barro, Macron plans to discuss European security issues with European leaders. He did not specify which countries will take part, but called not to exaggerate the meaning of the meeting.

According to the diplomatic sources of the publication, Germany, Poland, Italy and Denmark will join the discussions in Paris - the countries representing the Baltic and Scandinavian regions. The presence of NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Layen is also expected.

It is expected that the German Chancellor Olaf Sholts, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and British Prime Minister Kir Starmer will arrive at the summit.

The main topic of the meeting will be the formation of defense initiatives to provide Ukraine with real security guarantees. One of the proposed options is the automatic acquisition by Ukraine of NATO membership in the event of a clear violation of the conditions of the ceasefire.

Foreign Minister Barro emphasized that only Ukraine has the right to decide when to stop hostilities. According to him, the Ukrainians " He is convinced that Europeans can provide these guarantees.

A proposal on Ukraine’s membership in NATO, provided that Russia violates the ceasefire, which was promoted by some American senators, has support for some European leaders, in particular, Finland President Alexander Stubba. He emphasized that it is impossible to return to the policy of "

Next week, negotiations on the war in Ukraine should be held in Saudi Arabia. The US ER-Riyad will be represented by State Secretary Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Walz and a special representative in the Middle East Steve Whitkoff. The Russian delegation will be headed by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who on the eve of the negotiations announced the need to "

French President Emmanuel Macron said that he was not surprised by the speed with which Donald Trump was trying to conclude an agreement on the ceasefire, but European officials are afraid that Moscow is striving not only for the neutrality of Ukraine, but also to conclude an agreement on the spheres of influence resembling the Yalta conference of 1945.

Ukraine did not receive an invitation to negotiations in Riyadh, but the United States assures that Kyiv will be involved indirectly. The US Special Representative for the Russian Federation and Ukraine Kit Kellogue said that one of the possible sanctions against Russia in case of violation of agreements may be a restriction of its shadow fleet.

Recall that President Vladimir Zelensky said that Ukraine never recognizes the occupied territories part of the Russian Federation. At the same time, he is ready to discuss the agreement on de facto Russian control of the occupied territories, but as part of an agreement on Ukraine’s entry into NATO.