Quotes
The UK is unique in that it’s practically the only major ally that Trump hasn’t purposefully antagonized since his inauguration,
said Anand Sundar, a special advisor at the European Council on Foreign Relations
We shouldn’t be asking what the Americans can do for us, but what we must do for ourselves,
she said, ... according to ANSA
Macron has sought to impose himself as Europe’s strongman,
said French political analyst Jean-Yves CamusEurope’s security is at a turning point. Yes, it is about Ukraine — but it is also about us. We need an urgency mindset. We need a surge in defense. And we need both of them now.”
Von der Leyen
The problem is always: Who do you invite, who don’t you invite?”
Menon saidIf we had wanted to prepare for Trump 2, we should have started during Trump 1.
As Menon put itFor reasons of, say, practicability,
the official continued
The reality that returning to 2014 borders as part of a negotiated settlement is unlikely. The reality of U.S. troops in Ukraine is unlikely. The reality of Ukraine membership in NATO as a part of a negotiated settlement, unlikely,
Hegseth said
It is now very clear to us that we must continue to support Ukraine. And it must and can rely on us that this will be the case. We welcome the fact that there are talks on peace development, but it must be and is clear to us — this does not mean that there can be a dictated peace and that Ukraine must accept what is presented to it,
Scholz said
The threat that I worry the most about vis-a-vis Europe is not Russia, it's not China, it's not any other external actor. And what I worry about is the threat from within. The retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values,
Vance told delegates in Munich on FridayNow it’s crunch time to get this going — particularly in the short term, of course, in terms of not just maintaining but upping support for Ukraine, given it's very clear that the U.S. is not going to play a major role anymore in the way that it has under [former President Joe] Biden. But also for European defense and security in the medium to longer term, what that's going to look like? So, there are huge questions hanging over Europeans,
van Rij told VOAWe are witnessing tectonic shifts of the order structures and also of the positioning of major powers. We see that the United States wants to retreat from international organizations, so it is weakening structures of international order,
Schwarzer told ReutersThat's going to be a really difficult thing for many Europeans who are operating in a fiscally very constrained space,
van Rij saidNow is the time to invest, because you can't make an assumption that America's presence will last forever,
Hegseth said in a Friday speech in WarsawGiven the U.S. has taken itself out of the equation when it comes to … providing security guarantees for Ukraine or monitoring any kind of potential ceasefire that may happen, it’s really up to the Europeans to implement any kind of ceasefire or peace deal. So, you need the Europeans at the table to be able to discuss that, because otherwise, why would they sign up to something that's been discussed over their heads that commits their troops in a potential risk of direct conflict with Russia
van Rij told VOA.jpg)
Europe must play its role, and I'm prepared to consider committing British forces on the ground alongside others, if there is a lasting peace agreement. ... But there must be a U.S. backstop, because a U.S. security guarantee is the only way to effectively deter Russia from attacking Ukraine again,
Starmer told reporters in ParisWhat has come as a surprise is the style in which this has been done. And that's been really breaking all the norms in terms of how diplomacy is conducted, essentially. Reality has hit very, very clearly,
she told VOA
That may grate a little bit. But I'm telling you something that's really quite honest … when you looked at Minsk II [peace agreements], there was a lot of people at the table that really had no ability to execute some type of peace process, and it failed miserably. So, we're not going to go down that path,
Keith Kellogg, the U.S. special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, told delegates Saturday at the Munich Security ConferenceAt stake is not just the future of Ukraine. It is an existential question for Europe as a whole and therefore vital for Britain's national interest,
he saidOur expectation of our friends — and we say this in solidarity — is you have to spend more on your defense, for your country, on that continent, understanding that the American military and the American people stand beside you, as we have in NATO,
he added