Description: Military chiefs from most EU and NATO members met in Paris on an emergency summit where the French – British proposal for peacekeeping forces in Ukraine, labeled the coalition of the willing, was discussed. The meeting was spearheaded by military officials from the UK and France with President Emmanuel Macron also attending where broader ideas were exchanged and proposals discussed for the deployment of a peacekeeping contingent if and whether some sort of an agreement would be brought forward from the talks in Saudi Arabia. The summit represented the most important step towards Europe’s involvement in the conflict since the dissolution of the transatlantic relations with the US.
Impact: Europe would aim to reassert itself in the global geopolitical stage and become increasingly relevant as pivotal countries are expected to lead the way in the continent’s defensive and military independence. Recent events have demonstrated anything but a unified front from the EU and NATO members as they maneuvered between resolving their own internal state issues and reintegrating themselves into the new European security landscape. With Germany still repositioning after the elections, the UK and France emerge as the leading countries of the initiative which aim to consolidate Europe’s defense under an independent umbrella away from US support. Europe would play a key role in the hypothetical peace process in the Ukraine – Russia war, as the US has distanced themselves from deploying military forces as a deterrent against future Russian aggression.