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Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz is hosting President of France Emmanuel Macron and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Berlin on March 15 to discuss European unity in supporting Ukraine, as reported by The Guardian.
This meeting comes amidst differences in approaches between the assertive French President Emmanuel Macron and the traditionally cautious German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. These differences became apparent after an interview Macron gave to French television on Thursday evening, where he stated that Europe’s security, even its existence, is under threat.
Quoting Winston Churchill and Charles de Gaulle at different points in the interview, Macron said, “The security of Europe and the French is at stake in Ukraine. If Russia wins, the lives of the French will change, and trust in Europe will be reduced to zero. Who can think that Vladimir Putin will stop there?” said the President of France.
Meanwhile, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who has just returned from a meeting with President Joe Biden in Washington, will bring the latest political information on whether Speaker of the House Republican Mike Johnson can be persuaded to comply with the demands of the Democrats and lift his blockage of a multi-billion-dollar aid package to Ukraine approved by the Senate.
It is expected that Macron will first hold a bilateral meeting with Scholz, followed by the arrival of the Polish Prime Minister. A joint statement is expected after the meeting.
The last time these three countries met at this level was in June. Journalists and experts note that this meeting is a test of whether these three countries can revive the “Weimar Triangle” as a new internal engine for Europe.
“It’s time for calm between France and Germany. I think this meeting will help ease tension and strengthen support for Ukraine,” former French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told journalists on March 14.
Paris hopes that the Berlin meeting will at least advance the “coalition on long-range weapon systems and munitions for striking rear targets” agreed upon at the conference in support of Ukraine, where Macron first mentioned the possibility of deploying Western troops on Ukrainian territory.
