Scholz, Macron, Duda to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine in Paris

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Polish President Andrzej Duda will arrive in Paris next Monday for talks with French President Emmanuel Macron.

Source: Politico with reference to French officials, as reported by European Pravda

Details: The dinner meeting is expected to focus on Ukraine's desire for NATO membership and security guarantees from allies ahead of the Alliance's summit in July.

Last week, Macron called for Ukraine to be given "strong, concrete and tangible" security guarantees and said that Ukraine should be offered "a path towards membership [in NATO – ed.]".

Scholz, however, is likely to be more cautious, saying last Thursday that the emphasis should be on "how we as individuals can support Ukraine" but not on membership.

Poland has repeatedly called for strong security guarantees for Ukraine. On Tuesday, 6 June, Duda met with a few NATO leaders in Eastern Europe to discuss the war in Ukraine and its desire to join the alliance.

While it is clearly understandable that Ukraine will not be able to join the Alliance while it is fighting against Russia, NATO members have different ideas on how they should respond to Ukraine's current desire for membership.

However, according to one French diplomat, a strong signal must be sent from NATO members to Russia at a time when Ukraine is beginning a counteroffensive.

"If we don’t find a solution that satisfies everyone, the risk is that we won’t reach… a unified statement, and that would obviously be the greatest gift we could give to Russia," said the diplomat, who did not speak publicly.

The leaders are also expected to discuss other issues such as European sovereignty and defence.

Background: Ukraine is asking the West for mandatory security guarantees to ensure its long-term sustainability, but its allies are not yet ready to say yes.

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