In Brussels it is all a phone call, a teleconference, between a briefing and a debriefing, to try to make sense of what, frankly, sometimes a sense does not have it. That is Donald Trump. But moral is excellent. Because the reality show aired on the White House delivered to the Europeans a result that have been chasing for some time: the participation of the USA in the guarantees to be given to Ukraine. Of course, the details are all to be clarified and now it will be up to the safety councilors of the Washington format countries to find at least a first square, so as to bring together the leaders again (we speak of 7-10 days at most).
The ‘magnificent 8’ called to give the cards are therefore Donald Trump, Emmanuel Macron, Keir Starmer, Friedrich Merz, Giorgia Meloni, Alexander Stubb, Ursula von der Leyen and Mark Rutte.
It is a group born almost by chance, not sought “systematically”, but which now collects the trust of the Tycoon, despite certain diplomatic ungrammatics. Poland, the key country of Central Europe, from 5% of the GDP in defense and logistical hub for military aid to Ukraine, for example it is missing from the list. The Finnish Stubb instead represents the blockage of the Nordic-Baltic 8 although the annual presidency of the cooperation format would be in the hands of Danish puts Frederiksen. The president of the European Council Antonio Costa also absent, who instead was among the founders of the coalition of the willing. But you know, when there is half Trump better to look at the substance.
So much so that the former Portuguese premier (socialist), at the end of the call with the 27 EU leaders, the 30 willing and finally Volodymyr Zelensky, thanked the Europeans flew to the White House “for the excellent teamwork” and for having been able to represent “the interests” blown. By entering the live, it is not yet known what form will take these guarantees. Defense will have to be “the Ukrainian army”, without limitations in armaments and cooperation.
In this regard, the leaders of the Ermée have already been to Washington while the head of the British armed forces flies now beyond Atlantic for “in -depth interviews” on American involvement. “The military teams of the coalition of the willing will meet with their US counterparties in the next few days to discuss plans aimed at providing solid guarantees of safety to Ukraine and preparing the sending of a reassurance force once the conflict with Russia is finished”, explicitly recites a note of downing street.
The front line, however, is hundreds of kilometers long, Ukraine is enormous, so the challenges are manifold: there is discussion on the use of technology to monitor the possible respite (drones, satellites, IA), on the composition of the troops and their number. Trump has excluded the sending of US soldiers but guaranteed the Europeans the “American presence”, for example “by air”. All this will be integrated by the “Article 5 of NATO” style guarantees, the last addition to the menu, still to be explicit (especially if they will be legally binding). At the center of the effort, the ‘magnificent 8’ are in the center of the effort, which will then submit the draft to the other partners (in the coalition there are extra EU countries such as Canada, Turkey, Japan, New Zealand and Australia). “After several months of uncertainty, today it is clear that the United States is clear that the United States is clear Europe are not only in contrast to each other but are working together for the same goal, that of reaching a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, “said Costa.