The meltdown between Ukraine and the US during the Oval Office meeting last Friday between Ukrainian President Zelensky and the Trump administration has led most European leaders to take a stand for Ukraine.
Foreign Affairs Minister Xavier Bettel called the meeting unprecedented and “surreal”, leaving him speechless. Despite the gravity of the incident, Europe must, however, bring Ukraine and the US back to the negotiating table, according to Bettel. Alluding to the meeting between international leaders at London’s Lancaster House on Sunday, Bettel further explained that European solidarity with Ukraine should not be expressed in opposition to the US, as President Trump’s four-year term has only just begun, thus calling for common ground between the US and Europe in this regard.
Unprecedented is, however, the new unreliability of the US as a geopolitical partner, according to Bettel. He adds that, given these circumstances, the EU must come up with its own solutions in concert with as many countries as possible – including Russia and China. Importantly, the transatlantic relationship must be patched up in order to counter Russian President Putin, who has benefited from President Trump’s position with regard to the war in Ukraine, Bettel concluded.
Defence Minister Yuriko Backes also reacted to the Oval Office meeting on Friday with concern, calling President Zelensky’s humiliation “unsettling”. In this regard, Backes emphasised the need to cooperate even further on matters of defence at the national, European, and NATO levels, adding a remark on the necessity of being “on the right side of history”.
Backes established a historical parallel between Luxembourg during WWII – which recently celebrated 80 years of its liberation – and the current situation in Ukraine, stressing the need for support for Ukraine in a concerted effort between partners. In this regard, Backes emphasised the need to cooperate with the US, calling the country a key partner despite the current tensions.
Most European leaders, including the Luxembourgish PM, have sided with President Zelensky after the Oval Office meeting on Friday as a sign of common responsibility for the future of Europe. According to Backes, the time has come for a strengthening of Europe’s military capabilities in order to guarantee its security.
