European leaders "doubling down" on supporting Ukraine

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LONDON — Rattled European leaders said Sunday they were “doubling down” on supporting Ukraine and boosting military aid following the televised Oval Office blowup between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The embattled Zelensky was greeted with cheers outside 10 Downing Street and a warm hug from British Prime Minister Keir Starmer when he arrived late Saturday for an emergency summit of European leaders. The pair embraced again at the start of the session Sunday, which Starmer described as a “once-in-a-generation moment” for European security, and they sat side-by-side during the talks.

The display of support stood in stark contrast with comments Sunday from Trump administration officials, who heaped blame on Zelensky for the White House uproar. National security adviser Michael Waltz described Zelensky’s behavior as “incredibly disrespectful,” and Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused him of disrupting U.S. efforts to get Russian President Vladimir Putin to negotiate an end to the war.

The London gathering, which included the leaders of France, Germany, Canada and other nations, did not produce a formal statement. But participants agreed to sustain or boost military aid flowing to Ukraine, Starmer told reporters afterward, and to insist that Kyiv be directly involved in any negotiations with Moscow to end the war.

Europe’s aim now, Starmer said, was to arm Ukraine sufficiently so that it could begin any peace talks from a position of strength. Countries have expressed interest in joining a “coalition of the willing” that would help “guarantee the peace” a future deal, he said.

Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron, both of whom also met with Trump last week, were seeking to shape a diplomatic cleanup of U.S.-Ukrainian relations, Starmer said. The two and “possibly one or two others” would act as mediators between Washington and Kyiv, working on a ceasefire plan acceptable to Ukraine and Europe that they would present to Trump.

Macron, in comments to France’s Le Figaro on Sunday, suggested a potential one-month “truce in the air, at sea and on energy infrastructure” which could be paired with negotiations if it holds, and followed by a potential European troop deployment in the event of a settlement.

British armed forces minister Luke Pollard said early Monday there was no agreement yet, though options were on the table as talks led by Britain and France continue.

Starmer, who has talked to Trump at least twice since the Zelensky meeting, said the gathering solidified Britain’s own commitment to Ukraine. “We are doubling down,” he said. He announced a new $2.7 billion loan for Ukraine, backed by frozen Russian assets, and $2 billion in export financing to help Kyiv purchase air defense missiles manufactured in Belfast

Immediately after the summit, Zelensky flew by helicopter to an audience with King Charles III at Sandringham, the monarch’s country retreat. Zelensky, who on Friday left the White House early after the fractious exchange with Trump and Vice President JD Vance, said the king’s invitation made him “very happy.”
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/eu ... ngNewsSerp

[GFB]

Perfect.

He’s all your’s!