|
川、普野合後之歐洲--開欄文：英國首相強硬表態 - David Mercer
|
瀏覽3,617 ｜回應28｜推薦1 |
|
|
|
英國首相強硬表態 -- David Mercer
(此為本文原標題，02/24改為現在的標題。「川、普」 者，「川普與普丁」之合稱也。)
我不熟悉歐洲政局，也很少關注。偶而讀到的評論，對史塔默並不看好。但從他這個正式發言，我認為他的國際觀相當靠譜。做為二流國家的領袖，真是「好樣的！」
下文中的 “Before attending an emergency summit with European leaders in Paris on Monday, …”，請見下一篇報導。也請參考《國際現勢：2025》，以及《歐洲各國領袖積極準備第三次世界大戰》一欄。
PM 'ready' to put troops on ground in Ukraine to protect peace
David Mercer - BBC News, 02/17/25
Sir Keir Starmer has said he is "ready and willing" to put UK troops on the ground in Ukraine to help guarantee its security as part of a peace deal.
Writing in the Daily Telegraph, the UK prime minister said securing a lasting peace in Ukraine was "essential if we are to deter Putin from further aggression in the future".
Before attending an emergency summit with European leaders in Paris on Monday, Sir Keir said the UK was prepared to contribute to security guarantees to Ukraine by "putting our own troops on the ground if necessary".
"I do not say that lightly," he wrote. "I feel very deeply the responsibility that comes with potentially putting British servicemen and women in harm's way."
The prime minister added: "But any role in helping to guarantee Ukraine's security is helping to guarantee the security of our continent, and the security of this country."
The end of Russia's war with Ukraine "when it comes, cannot merely become a temporary pause before Putin attacks again", Sir Keir said.
UK troops could be deployed alongside soldiers from other European nations alongside the border between Ukrainian-held and Russian-held territory.
Sir Keir's announcement comes after the former head of the Army, Lord Dannatt, told the BBC the UK military was "so run down" it could not lead any future peacekeeping mission in Ukraine.
The PM has previously only hinted that British troops could be involved in safeguarding Ukraine after a ceasefire.
He is due to visit President Donald Trump in Washington later this month and said a "US security guarantee is essential for a lasting peace, because only the US can deter Putin from attacking again".
Sir Keir is meeting with other European leaders in response to concerns the US is moving forward with Russia on peace talks that will lock out the continent.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio plans to meet Russian officials in Saudi Arabia in the coming days, US officials say.
On Saturday the US special envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, said European leaders would be consulted only and not take part in any talks between the US and Russia.
A senior Ukrainian government source told the BBC on Sunday that Kyiv has not been invited to talks between the US and Russia.
Trump earlier this week announced he had had a lengthy conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and that negotiations to stop the "ridiculous war" in Ukraine would begin "immediately".
Trump then "informed" Zelensky of his plan.
On Sunday, Trump said that he expected Zelensky to be involved in the talks. He also said he would allow European nations to buy US weapons for Ukraine.
Asked by the BBC about his timetable for an end to fighting, Trump said only that "we're working to get it done" and laid the blame for the war on the previous administration's Ukraine policies.
Writing in the Telegraph, Sir Keir said "peace cannot come at any cost" and "Ukraine must be at the table in these negotiations, because anything less would accept Putin's position that Ukraine is not a real nation".
He added: "We cannot have another situation like Afghanistan, where the US negotiated directly with the Taliban and cut out the Afghan government - in reference to a deal negotiated by Trump's first administration, which was later enacted by the Biden administration.
"I feel sure that President Trump will want to avoid this too," said Sir Keir
Advertisement
Sir Keir said Ukraine's path to Nato membership was "irreversible" and European nations "must increase our defence spending and take on a greater role" in the alliance.
The UK currently spends around 2.3% of GDP on defence and has committed to increase defence spending to a 2.5% share of the economy, without giving a timeframe for this.
Trump has called for Nato members to spend 5% of GDP on defence, while Nato secretary general Mark Rutte has suggested allies should spend more than 3%.
Lord Dannatt - who was head of the Army from 2006 to 2009 - told the BBC up to 40,000 UK troops would be needed on rotation for a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine and "we just haven't got that number available".
He said, in total, a force to keep the peace would require about 100,000 troops on the ground and the UK would have to supply "quite a proportion of that and we really couldn't do it".
The meeting in Paris called by French President Emmanuel Macron will see Sir Keir joined by leaders from Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands and Denmark along with the presidents of the European Council and European Commission, and Rutte.
相關訊息：
Ukraine end game: What each side wants from peace deal
Ukraine in maps: Tracking the war with Russia
Trump wants peace. Ukrainians fear what that might look like
Analysis: Vance's blast at Europe ignores Ukraine and defence agenda
本文於 修改第 13 次
|
|
《川普給歐洲帶來大「利多」》讀後
|
|
|
推薦1 |
|
|
|
看來川某又多了一個外號：「川利歐」；忽發奇想：
「川建中」 + 「川利歐」 = 「川敗家」？
我對歐洲的政治、經濟、和社會情況了解不多；也就不敢對下文作者米爾班克先生所提出的分析和對策置喙。
米爾班克先生還說得上客觀和腦筋清楚。不過，我猜想：
1) 他是位「歐洲中心主義」者；
2) 邏輯訓練有些不足；
3) 他完全不了解「文化」跟「社會現實」與「社會建構」兩者間的動態關係。或者說，他言必稱「文化」，但缺乏社會學和文化研究兩個領域的基本概念。
最後，米爾班克先生的大作讓我想起：
清末民初以降，中國許多「遺老派」、「復古派」、「傳統派」、「中體西用派」、和「文化復興派」的調調兒。真的是三十年河東，三十年河西；此之謂「歷史的諷刺」？
要是在三、五年前，我一定會興沖沖的寫一篇討論/批評「文化決定論」的文章。我現在對絞腦汁、花腦筋的事兒避之唯恐不及；不過，這倒也不是我第一次有「力不從心」的老驥感和挫折感。
本文於 修改第 2 次
|
|
川普給歐洲帶來大「利多」 -- Sebastian Milbank
|
|
|
推薦1 |
|
|
|
請參考此欄2026/01/16和01/17兩篇貼文。
Why Trump is good for Europe
He will force our leaders to be more realistic
Sebastian Milbank, 01/17/2
Is America still a friend to Europe? Or even a potential foe? That’s a question being asked across Europe as Trump threatens to annex Greenland, and shrugs off international law. Tensions between America and Europe have only increased in the past few years. The Munich Security Conference has become a bully pulpit for JD Vance to push around the soft Europeans, whilst Trump has openly speculated about withdrawing US defence support from the continent. Likewise, in the case of the Ukraine conflict, America has shown itself willing to trade away European territory to Russia if it thinks it can profit thereby.
But what if all of this, from the tough love to the ruthless power politics, was fundamentally good for Europe?
To frame these as positives is not to exonerate Trump, or hail him as any sort of strategic genius. Denmark is not only a close NATO ally, but one that committed substantial manpower to some of the darkest and bloodiest chapters of the War on Terror, with Danish special forces joining the British in brutal fights against the Taliban in Helmand province. Much of what Trump wants in Greenland, from greater security to more economic opportunities for US business in the Arctic, he could readily get through diplomatic channels. Resorting to threats and bullying at the first juncture against an ally is not just wrong, it is also stupid and pointless.
All this aside, the effect on Europe, as with the invasion of Ukraine, may yet be salutary. Trump’s clear message that the continent cannot count on America, or assume that its interests will be eternally aligned with Europe’s, is one we desperately need to hear.
Trump cannot be defended as a man of virtue, wisdom or even machiavellian genius. Yet he should be seen as a man of history — someone who catalyses the shift to a new paradigm and a new era. His iconoclasm and irreverence have forced any number of issues that should have been confronted long ago, and he is presently shocking the sleepy, complacent continent of Europe back into wakefulness and forcing us to tentatively paddle back into the lively currents of history. (iconoclasm：無視於規範；逆天悖理)
Europe is finally rearming, and taking up the mantle of its own defence. Trump’s ambivalence in Ukraine has ensured that European countries have upped their commitments, and taken a more independent line in foreign policy. The provocations in Greenland have prompted not only Danish, but British and German troops to deploy to the Arctic Circle. Though couched in the language of answering US security concerns, the deployments are a welcome sign of unlooked for steeliness and defiance, as these are soldiers standing directly in the way of any attempted American annexation.
The response to home-grown populism and Trumpian provocations is still far too complacent, however. Much of Europe’s elite simply wants populism and the forces of history to go away and leave them alone thankyouverymuch. Attacks on American free speech norms and the power of its tech firms to shape the informational space tend to miss the point. There’s a strong element of cope here — they blame the big bad Other (whether Russia or America) for the anger of their own populations at uncontrolled mass migration and civilisational vandalism and self-hatred. But just as pertinent for a Europe that claims to want to control its own destiny, they are failing to influence and direct the informational and narrative realm on their own terms.
Thanks to the bullishness of Trump, Vance and Elon, we’re starting to wake up to these questions, if oh-so-slowly. I don’t like the thuggishness of US language or the adolescent sewer of Musk’s “X”, sure, but why is it left to Americans to point out the threat of uncontrolled migration or the horrors of grooming gangs?
There will be a lot of denials, many tantrums thrown, and endless hand-wringing to be endured before we start entering the territory of serious thought and action. Higher defence spending and expanding arms industry are the first, but in a sense easiest step. What we will need to confront next is just what it is we are defending, and how we will defend it culturally, demographically, intellectually and spiritually.
An alternative European model
What does this look like? Painting in broad strokes, it means reclaiming the idea of Europe as a unique civilisational space, one that we shamelessly and “Eurocentrically” promote, both at home and abroad.
Ironically, if we now moan about populism being pushed by Americans, the original poison of civilisational self-hatred owes much to our cultural submission to American culture and ideas. The settler-colonial issues of race in the US republic have been projected onto the European post-imperial context, and along with this framework we have adopted America’s legalistic wrangling over rights and individual identity.
The EU itself is reaching a point of crisis. For years, despite its motto of “united in diversity”, the EU has relentlessly pushed for an unnatural model of the single currency, legal homogeneity and neoliberal economic alignment. In so doing it has kept Europe subordinate to America, uncompetitive with the state capitalism of China, and has squander our greatest advantage — the agility and variety of ideas and practices in small, highly advanced states. Instead of relentlessly locking us into the same regulation and economic practices, we should diversify our economic models, whilst aligning instead on foreign policy, culture and defence, increasingly acting autonomously of NATO and the US.
Mass migration is an issue that we finally need to manage and confront. Migration, when it is skilled, in managed numbers, and involves individuals committed to joining a common culture and civilisation, can be a strength and a boon. But the scale and type we have seen, as with the madness of Merkel’s commitment to massive Arab migration from an active warzone, has been actively destructive, not least of ethnic harmony and an open, tolerant culture.
The combination of an academy hostile to Western, European and Christian identity, with a massive importation of non Western, non European and non Christian immigrants has created a feeling of existential threat, and a deep feeling of abandonment and alienation. What is needed in its place is a clear civilisational narrative, and a new and strengthened model of citizenship. Migration must become clearly conditioned on national loyalty and civilisational belonging. These messages must pervade culture as well as policy. The dominance of Hollywood and US culture, along with American legal, intellectual and moral norms, must be challenged and alternatives constructed.
Rather than creating a European superstate on American lines, a new European civilisational order could focus on defending regional and national cultures against globalisation, defend rootedness and tradition, and challenge virtual capitalism with an economics centred on manufacturing, craft, aesthetics and social goods. We talk, and with good cause, about the weakness of the European economy relative to American dynamism, but there are weaknesses in the US model. America’s vast wealth doesn’t translate into high quality public infrastructure and services, and it is often paralysed by partisan politics and administrative confusion.
Europe is still developing highly innovative science and technology, but it is failing to capitalise on this economically. The success of American tech-led growth, and Chinese state coordination of large scale manufacturing and infrastructure, are both vital lessons, but need not be swallowed whole. The distinctive advantage of Europe is the good life — we produce food and manufactured goods of a uniquely high quality, haloed by carefully protected cultural legacies that have grown into global reputations. We could unlock some American innovation and employ some Chinese state intervention without importing their dystopian libertarianism or statism, and instead adapt elements of both at the level of small European states and regions, and direct them towards building up our traditional strengths.
We’ve some way to go till we get to such a happy place. Populism will need to run riot before Europe wakes up from its dogmatic liberal slumber. European elites will need to stand up for their cultures, or be torn down. Both sides of the culture war will need to drop dead end ideas and reach a greater intellectual maturity. But we have set our feet upon the path, and we should spare some grudging thanks for our friendly rival and helpful antagonist — Donald J. Trump.
本文於 修改第 4 次
|
|
歐洲各國軍事領袖要民眾備戰-M Colchester/B. Benoit
|
|
|
推薦1 |
|
|
|
After a generation of peace, Europe tells its people to prepare for war
As Trump tries to negotiate Ukraine peace deal, European leaders sound alarm that Russia could target their countries next
Max Colchester/Bertrand Benoit, 12/15/25
European security officials now regularly broadcast a message nearly unimaginable a decade ago: get ready for conflict with Russia.
Rarely a week goes by now without a European government, military or security chief making a grim speech warning the public that they are headed toward a potential war with Russia. It is a profound psychological shift for a continent that has rebuilt itself after two world wars by trumpeting a message of harmony and joint economic prosperity.
Over the weekend, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz compared Russian President Vladimir Putin’s strategy in Ukraine to that of Hitler in 1938, when he seized the German-speaking Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia before pressing on to conquer a large chunk of the continent. “If Ukraine falls, he won’t stop. Just like the Sudetenland wasn’t enough in 1938,” Merz told a party conference on Saturday.
That came days after NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte made a speech warning that “conflict is at our door” and that “we must be prepared for the scale of war our grandparents or great-grandparents endured.” Rutte said that Russia could be ready to use military force against the North Atlantic Treaty Organization within five years. The head of the French military recently said that France was at risk “because it is not prepared to accept the loss of its children.”
This sense of urgency has been amped-up as the Trump administration looks to broker an end to the war in Ukraine. There is concern in European capitals that Ukraine will be pushed by Trump into accepting a lopsided peace-deal that leaves Putin emboldened and Ukraine vulnerable to future Russian attack. Crucially, a cease-fire would free Russian military resources to focus on Europe, too, potentially paving the way for a future attack on its eastern flank.
The warnings are accompanied by fear that a more isolationist Trump administration won’t come to Europe’s aid if an attack does materialize. The U.S. National Security Strategy, which was published this month, says that the U.S. government will aim to stop war spreading in Europe and “re-establish strategic stability with Russia.” For the first time in recent years, it makes no mention of Russia as an enemy.
The U.K.’s annual threat assessment by the head of its Secret Intelligence Service, delivered on Monday, sounded a very different note. MI6 chief Blaise Metreweli warned that Russia will continue to try to destabilize Europe “until Putin is forced to change his calculus.”
The head of the U.K.’s armed forces, Richard Knighton, meanwhile on Monday said that the situation “is more dangerous than I have known in my career” and that the British public had to be prepared. “More families will know what sacrifice for our nation means,” he said.
For Europe, the sobering messaging marks a deep shift. The European Union was expressly designed, with the encouragement of the U.S., to prevent the kind of total war that ravaged the continent during the 20th Century. Its population has reaped the benefits of the so-called peace dividend—when military spending was cut back after the Cold War and the extra funds plowed into social spending.
Politicians across the region have warned that re-instilling a martial mindset into the public, accompanied by an explanation of the difficult spending trade-offs ahead, is a challenge. A Gallup poll last year found that only a third of Europeans would be willing to fight to defend their country, compared with 41% in the U.S.
Retired Dutch admiral Rob Bauer, who recently completed a term as NATO’s most senior military official, says that if Europe is to maintain peace, it must prepare for war to deter Putin.
In recent months that message “has gotten stronger,” he says, adding that officials are alarmed by data showing the Russian military industrial complex is producing more than it needs for the war in Ukraine, raising fears that it could regenerate to attack Europe faster than previously envisaged.
In private, European officials say voters will only support the sacrifices necessary—from higher military spending to the reintroduction of conscription—if they think an attack will happen.
Already, European security chiefs say that Russia has begun a covert “gray zone” assault on Europe, to try to damage its economy and sow confusion. Russia is suspected of being behind a string of sabotage on critical European infrastructure and military facilities, cyberattacks on businesses, as well as arson attacks on warehouses and shopping centers. Russian drones have disrupted Polish airspace and jet fighters zipped over Estonia.
“We are now operating in a space between peace and war,” said Metreweli.
The Kremlin has denied involvement in acts of sabotage or drone incursions in Europe, and Putin last month said the idea that Russia would invade another country was a “lie.”
Last week, Germany accused Russia of being behind a cyberattack on its air-traffic control in 2024 and trying to interfere with a federal election by spreading disinformation online. Suspected Russian drones have also interrupted flights in several European airports in recent months.
German officials suspect Moscow’s campaign of sabotage and espionage is partly aimed at preparing an attack on NATO’s logistical routes that would delay the deployment of troops in Eastern Europe in case of an armed conflict targeting Poland or the Baltic States.
Governments are taking steps to prepare. France has said that it would reinstate a voluntary military service for young people, following similar moves by Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. Germany is actively war-gaming how it would rush troops to the front in the event of a Russian attack. The U.K. is scaling back military training outside Europe, to focus on Russia.
Military spending across the continent is rising. This year, NATO’s European members agreed to increase traditional defense spending to 3.5% of their economies by 2035, compared with 2% currently. They have also agreed to spend another 1.5% on security-adjacent measures, such as hardening their infrastructure, which could help counter Russia’s hybrid attack. Germany has pledged to spend more than a trillion dollars on its military and its infrastructure over the next decade, with the goal of creating Europe’s largest conventional force.
However, in many of the big western European economies, the trade-offs haven’t yet been felt by the public. Britain, for instance, is funding a rise in military spending by cutting foreign aid to developing nations. Several military chiefs have publicly stated that spending will have to be increased much more if Russia is to be deterred from further aggression.
Write to Max Colchester at Max.Colchester@wsj.com and Bertrand Benoit at bertrand.benoit@wsj.com
Related video：
Europeans vow to assist Ukraine against future Russian attack after Berlin talks (Dailymotion)
本文於 修改第 3 次
|
|
歐洲領袖試圖表達：各國已決心完成戰後維和任務–C. Porter/S. Erlanger
|
|
|
推薦1 |
|
|
|
Europe Aims to Show It Is Ready to Secure Postwar Ukraine
President Emmanuel Macron of France hosted a meeting of leaders to review options for protecting any peace with Russia.
Catherine Porter/Steven Erlanger, 09/04/25
Emerging from a summit in Paris, President Emmanuel Macron of France said on Thursday that 26 countries had formally committed to securing any future peace in Ukraine, including by putting international troops on the ground, in the sea or in the air to deter Russian aggression.
If Russia refuses to meet to hash out some sort of peace deal, Mr. Macron said, it will face increased international sanctions, including from the United States, he asserted, although President Trump has regularly threatened to do so without following through.
“I can tell you today that we are ready,” Mr. Macron said at a news conference at the end of the summit, which was attended by more than 30 heads of state and government, most of them by video link. Ready for what, however, remains unclear, since there is little sign that a peace settlement or even a cease-fire is in the offing anytime soon.
The meeting was the latest European diplomatic attempt through a group called the “coalition of the willing” to bring the United States on board in forcing Russia to end more than three years of war, while also reassuring the Ukrainians that any peace deal would be secure.
Though it offered a show of unity, the meeting yielded few concrete details about the security guarantees. And while Mr. Macron assured reporters that there was “no doubt” that the United States was committed to the broader plan, what role it might play was still to be determined.
“The questions we had before remain the same,” said Martin Quencez, the director of the Paris office of the German Marshall Fund. “We still don’t know whether the United States is ready to provide a backstop that many of the contributors expect.”
“The spin was positive,” he added. “But we are still wondering what it really means.”
Mr. Macron said 26 countries had committed to deploying troops to Ukraine or to being “present on the ground, in the sea or in the air” to bring assurance to Ukraine “the day after a cease-fire or peace.” Later, he said that some of those countries could support the Ukrainian Army while “remaining in NATO member countries, or making their bases available.”
Major countries like Poland, Germany and Italy, along with the United States, have already declared that they would not put troops on the ground in Ukraine, even after any settlement.
When pushed for details about the deployment and individual country commitments, Mr. Macron said that the group did not plan to “reveal the details of our organization to Russia.”
“We have no desire to show our hand,” he said.
Much of the point of the summit was to convince President Trump to throw the full weight of the United States behind the plan.
Most Europeans believe American support is essential to put enough pressure on Russia to agree to negotiate peace first, and then for any effective plan to ensure Russia does not invade again. Many have repeatedly stressed that they are working continually with the United States and took the presence of Steve Witkoff, Mr. Trump’s envoy for peace missions, at Thursday’s meeting as a positive sign.
“It is important that the United States is on our side,” President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine said on Thursday after the summit. He added, “Many things depend on them.”
But President Trump has proved himself an unpredictable and fickle ally, at times blaming Ukraine for the war. After meeting with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia in Alaska last month, Mr. Trump echoed a Russian blueprint for a large-scale peace agreement that would require Kyiv to cede territory it controls to Moscow.
A White House official confirmed that Mr. Trump was called into Thursday’s meeting, but offered no further details about the American role in future security guarantees for Ukraine.
Instead, the official said President Trump had urged the European leaders to stop purchasing Russian oil that is helping to fund the war in Ukraine and pushed them to put more economic pressure on China for funding Russia’s war efforts.
Mr. Trump has grown increasingly frustrated with Mr. Putin over his delay tactics in brokering a cease-fire deal with Ukraine, and has become increasingly hostile to China as the two countries have become engaged in a trade war.
This week, he accused the leaders of both countries of joining with North Korea to “conspire against” the United States.
Mr. Trump has repeatedly threatened to impose sanctions on Russia, but has so far not yet followed through, choosing instead to impose secondary sanctions on countries that do business with Russia, particularly those that buy its oil.
Mr. Macron accused Russia of using “false pretenses, false openings and delaying tactics” to avoid negotiating for peace. He threatened additional sanctions “in coordination with the United States of America.”
Mr. Zelensky said economic pressure was critical to compelling Russia to the negotiating table. “The key to peace is to deprive the Russian war machine of its finances and its resources,” he said.
While a reassurance force has been a topic of discussion among Europeans for many months, to date only France, Britain and tiny Estonia have publicly indicated they could deploy troops in a postwar Ukraine.
For most European countries, the prospect of opening themselves up to conflict with Russia is terribly sensitive and raises questions of whether Washington would really have their backs militarily if NATO-country troops were attacked.
After Thursday’s meeting, Italy reiterated that it would not send troops to Ukraine but said that it could support a cease-fire through surveillance and training operations “outside of Ukrainian borders,” according to a statement from the office of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
And while Germany said it remained committed to providing Ukraine’s military with weapons and training, it stopped short of promising that German troops would help keep the peace, saying that matter would need to be decided in by country’s Parliament.
Ukraine’s first and main condition for any potential cease-fire is the coalition’s first prong of its security plan — a large investment in the Ukrainian military, nearly a million soldiers strong. Mr. Zelensky told reporters on Friday that Ukraine would seek an arsenal of long-range missiles that could bombard Russian targets if a cease-fire was violated. He also would seek binding commitments of military assistance from allies that were ratified by parliaments or the U.S. Congress, to protect against changes in policy as governments change through elections.
The Ukrainians see little defensive advantage in a small European contingent, and do not trust the idea of a “tripwire force” that would set off a larger European response should Russia invade again.
“I don’t remember any discussion here where anyone would believe the Europeans would send their armies to fight for Ukraine,” said Maksym Skrypchenko, the president of the Transatlantic Dialogue Center, a research group in Kyiv.
Military analysts have said that Ukraine would welcome a European role in peacekeeping, but would not rely on it. That might include air policing missions over western Ukraine flown by European pilots.
Ukrainian analysts have also pointed out that European soldiers could prove useful if deployed in western Ukraine as a justification for allies to protect the airspace above them.
All the meetings and plans are predicated on the condition of an end to the war, which at this point remains illusory.
“The question is now whether the Americans are willing or able to force Russia to accept any cease-fire guarantees,” Mr. Skrypchenko said. “Otherwise, it’s just a waste of time.”
Reporting was contributed by Andrew E. Kramer and Marichka Varenikova in Kyiv, Erica L. Green in Washington, Aurelien Breeden in Paris and Jim Tankersley in Berlin.
Catherine Porter is an international reporter for The Times, covering France. She is based in Paris.
Steven Erlanger is the chief diplomatic correspondent in Europe and is based in Berlin. He has reported from over 120 countries, including Thailand, France, Israel, Germany and the former Soviet Union.
Catherine Porter reported from Paris, and Steven Erlanger from Berlin
Want to stay updated on what’s happening in France and Ukraine? Sign up for Your Places: Global Update, and we’ll send our latest coverage to your inbox.
本文於 修改第 1 次
|
|
歐盟主席宣示：歐洲國家需要獨立行事 – Lorne Cook
|
|
|
推薦1 |
|
|
|
馮•德•萊恩女士不愧於世界領袖的格局和風範；川痞連她一根腳指頭都比不上。
EU chief says it's time for Europe's 'independence moment' faced with war and major power tensions
Lorne Cook, 09/10/25
BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union’s most powerful official warned Wednesday that Europe is battling against a series of threats posed by Russia, new global trade challenges and even other major world powers and must stake claim to its independence.
In a State of the Union speech, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced new measures to help Ukraine fight off Russia's full-scale invasion, and she called for trade restrictions and sanctions on Israel over the war in Gaza.
She also defended the deal she reached with U.S. President Donald Trump to limit the impact of his global tariff war, despite agreeing to a 15% duty rate for most European exports to the United States.
Fight for values
“Europe is in a fight,” von der Leyen told EU lawmakers in Strasbourg, France. “A fight for our values and our democracies. A fight for our liberty and our ability to determine our destiny for ourselves. Make no mistake — this is a fight for our future.”
“Battle lines for a new world order based on power are being drawn right now,” she said, adding that the EU “must fight for its place in a world in which many major powers are either ambivalent or openly hostile to Europe.”
“This must be Europe’s independence moment,” said the 66-year-old former German defense minister, who has become a prominent figure at summits with leaders around the world, despite her role as a political appointee who hasn't been elected to office.
The commission is the EU’s executive arm. It proposes laws that impact the lives of around 450 million people across 27 countries, and monitors whether those rules are respected.
In recent years, it has helped Europe to survive fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, break its dependency on Russian energy supplies and cope with a trade war launched by a traditional ally like the U.S.
Russian aggression
Turning to Russia’s war on Ukraine, now in its fourth year, von der Leyen said that Russian President Vladimir Putin shows no sign of ending the war, and that “our response must be clear too.”
“We need more pressure on Russia to come to the negotiation table. We need more sanctions,” she said. The commission and EU member countries are working on a new raft of sanctions targeting Russia’s energy revenues.
Poland said Wednesday that multiple Russian drones entered its territory over the course of several hours and were shot down with help from NATO allies.
Von der Leyen condemned the “reckless and unprecedented violation of Poland and Europe’s airspace."
“Europe stands in full solidarity with Poland,” she said. “Putin’s message is clear, and our response must be clear, too. We need more pressure on Russia to come to the negotiation table. We need more sanctions.”
Ukraine's economy
Von der Leyen also said that new ways to address Ukraine’s financial challenges must also come through the use of frozen Russian assets in Europe. Almost 200 billion euros ($235 billion) worth of those assets are being held in a Belgian clearing house.
Interest earned on the assets – around 3.5 billion euros ($4.1 billion) were generated last year – are already being used to help prop up Ukraine’s war-ravaged economy. Von der Leyen said that a “reparations loan” for damage inflicted by Russia is being weighed.
She also announced the creation of a “drone alliance” with Ukraine – drones have become a decisive factor in the war – with 6 billion euros ($7 billion) in funds for the effort.
Freezing support to Israel
To applause in the parliament, the commission chief said that she wants to freeze some financial support to Israel, and to impose trade restrictions and sanctions on the government over the war in Gaza.
Breaking with her traditionally very strong pro-Israeli government stance, von der Leyen said that the events in Gaza and the suffering of children and families “has shaken the conscience of the world.”
“Man-made famine can never be a weapon of war. For the sake of the children, for the sake of humanity. This must stop,” she said. She added that the commission will set up a new Palestinian donor group, with a focus on Gaza’s future reconstruction.
U.S. tariff deal
Addressing criticism of the tariff deal with Trump, von der Leyen underlined that Europe depends on the United States as a major trading partner, and that the position of European businesses was improved compared to other countries that got a worse deal.
“Millions of jobs depend on” that relationship, she said. “And as president of the commission, I will never gamble with people’s jobs and livelihoods.”
本文於 修改第 1 次
|
|
歐洲盟國規劃烏克蘭戰後維和部隊 – 路透社
|
|
|
推薦1 |
|
|
|
請參考：
Germany criticizes EU remarks on plans to deploy to Ukraine (09/02更新)
EU chief tours Poland border with Belarus to show support
我在此欄及本部落格其它各欄評論多次強調(該欄2028/08/25)：歐洲各國領袖對普丁俄國持有高度戒心；不論川普政府最終的政策是什麼，歐洲各國政府絕不會容許俄國吞併烏克蘭。川普這個暴發戶那是歐洲這些老油條的對手。
Von der Leyen says Europe is drawing up 'precise' plans to send troops to Ukraine, FT reports
Reuters, 09/01/25
(Reuters) -Europe is drawing up "pretty precise plans" for a multinational troop deployment to Ukraine as part of post-conflict security guarantees that will have the backing of U.S. capabilities, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told the Financial Times in an interview published Sunday.
“President Trump reassured us that there will be (an) American presence as part of the backstop,” von der Leyen told the FT, adding that “That was very clear and repeatedly affirmed.”
The deployment is set to include potentially tens of thousands of European-led troops, backed by assistance from the U.S., including control and command systems and intelligence and surveillance assets, the report said, adding that this arrangement was agreed at a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and senior European leaders last month.
European leaders, including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and von der Leyen are expected to gather in Paris on Thursday, at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron, to continue the high-level discussions on Ukraine, the FT reported, citing three diplomats briefed on the plans.
(Reporting by Rhea Rose Abraham in Bengaluru, Editing by Louise Heavens and Ros Russell)
本文於 修改第 4 次
|
|
川、普會後歐洲領袖聯合自保聲明內容 -- Reuters
|
|
|
推薦0 |
|
|
|
請參見：
* European leaders to join Ukraine's Zelenskyy for meeting with Trump (「打群架」也不失為對付川痞這種混混的招術之一。)
* 本欄上一篇貼文中我簡短的「前言」
Text of European leaders statement on Trump-Putin talks in Alaska
Reuters, 08/16/25
(Reuters) -Following is the text of a statement issued jointly by several European leaders after a summit on Ukraine in Alaska between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The statement was issued by French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, European Council President Antonio Costa and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
"Early this morning, President Trump debriefed us and President Zelenskyy following his meeting with the Russian President in Alaska on 15 August 2025.
"Leaders welcomed President Trump's efforts to stop the killing in Ukraine, end Russia's war of aggression, and achieve just and lasting peace.
"As President Trump said 'there's no deal until there's a deal'. As envisioned by President Trump, the next step must now be further talks including President Zelenskyy, whom he will meet soon.
"We are also ready to work with President Trump and President Zelenskyy towards a trilateral summit with European support.
"We are clear that Ukraine must have ironclad security guarantees to effectively defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity. We welcome President Trump's statement that the US is prepared to give security guarantees. The Coalition of the Willing is ready to play an active role. No limitations should be placed on Ukraine's armed forces or on its cooperation with third countries. Russia cannot have a veto against Ukraine's pathway to EU and NATO.
"It will be up to Ukraine to make decisions on its territory. International borders must not be changed by force.
"Our support to Ukraine will continue. We are determined to do more to keep Ukraine strong in order to achieve an end to the fighting and a just and lasting peace.
"As long as the killing in Ukraine continues, we stand ready to uphold the pressure on Russia. We will continue to strengthen sanctions and wider economic measures to put pressure on Russia's war economy until there is a just and lasting peace.
"Ukraine can count on our unwavering solidarity as we work towards a peace that safeguards Ukraine's and Europe's vital security interests."
本文於 修改第 4 次
|
|
川、普會後歐洲各國見招拆招 - Emma Rossiter/Yang Tian
|
|
|
推薦1 |
|
|
|
請參見此欄。
在川普不遺餘力「作死」下，世局將進入「三極」時代(請參見此欄)。「多元」時代也將初現曙光？
Starmer to call European allies ahead of Zelensky White House visit
Emma Rossiter/Yang Tian, BBC News, 08/17/25
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will join a video call with European allies on Sunday ahead of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to the White House next week.
French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will join Sir Keir in hosting the "coalition of the willing", after Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin failed to reach a ceasefire deal at a summit in Alaska.
On Saturday, the prime minister praised Trump for having brought an end to the war in Ukraine "closer than ever before", but warned that the "path to peace" could not be decided without Zelensky.
It comes after the US president said he wanted to bypass a ceasefire to move directly to a permanent peace deal.
On Saturday, the US president said on his Truth Social platform that it was "determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a peace agreement", in a major shift in position.
Zelensky later said that Russia's refusal to agree to a ceasefire "complicates" efforts to end the war.
On Monday, the Ukrainian leader will travel to Washington DC, where US President Trump has said he will urge Zelensky to agree to a peace deal.
In the wake of the Anchorage summit, Sir Keir spent Saturday morning speaking to Western allies.
Following the calls, he said in a statement: "I welcome the openness of the United States, alongside Europe, to provide robust security guarantees to Ukraine as part of any deal.
"President Trump's efforts have brought us closer than ever before to ending Russia's illegal war in Ukraine.
"His leadership in pursuit of an end to the killing should be commended," Sir Keir said.
Until Putin stops his "barbaric assault", allies would "keep tightening the screws on his war machine with even more sanctions", he added.
A Downing Street source told the BBC that any peace deal needed security agreements and "US involvement is a key part of that".
Following a call with Trump on Saturday, Zelensky called for a lasting peace, "not just another pause between Russian invasions".
He stressed Kyiv should be included in future discussions, and said he expected Russia to "increase pressure and strikes" in the coming days to "create more favourable circumstances for talks with global actors".
On Friday, Zelensky visited Sir Keir at Downing Street, and the pair greeted each other in a warm embrace before holding talks over breakfast.
It was seen as a carefully co-ordinated show of support from the UK, ahead of the the Trump-Putin summit.
* Trump shifts ceasefire stance and urges Ukraine to agree Russia peace deal
* 'About our lives, but without our voice': Sidelined Ukrainians look on
* In maps: The war-ravaged Ukrainian territories at the heart of the Trump-Putin summit
* Paul Adams: Trump's ceasefire pivot will have caused dismay in Kyiv and Europe
本文於 修改第 3 次
|
|
歐洲領袖打臉普丁的和議條件 - Filip Timotija
|
|
|
推薦1 |
|
|
|
川痞想幫普丁在和議桌上取得後者在戰場上搶不到的甜頭，他也太給自己臉了。歐洲各國領袖非常熟悉自家老祖宗玩爛了的這套蠶食鯨吞、巧取豪奪小把戲。
在歐洲各國領袖看來(至少和俄國邊界相鄰國家)，俄、烏戰爭從來不僅僅是俄、烏兩國間的糾紛，它是歐洲安全的前哨戰。烏克蘭將是俄國進攻波羅的海諸國的橋頭堡。中國許多網軍、自媒體、政論家看不懂這個「地緣政治」的門道，一天到晚替普丁吹喇叭，瞎湊熱鬧(包括此地和其它華人社會)。
Putin’s Ukraine land pitch sparks firm European response ahead of Trump summit
Filip Timotija, 08/10/25
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s reported proposal for a ceasefire in Ukraine, which would require Kyiv to cede regions in the east, sparked a firm response from European leaders on Saturday ahead of President Trump’s summit with the Kremlin leader in Alaska next week.
The seven European leaders welcomed Trump’s efforts to negotiate a ceasefire as part of an effort to permanently end the nearly three-and-a-half-year war in Eastern Europe, but argued that “only” an approach that mixes support for Ukraine, “active” diplomacy and additional pressure on Moscow can lead to peace on the front lines.
“We stand ready to support this work diplomatically as well as by upholding our substantive military and financial support to Ukraine, including through the work of the Coalition of the Willing, and by upholding and imposing restrictive measures against the Russian Federation,” the European officials said in a lengthy, joint statement on Saturday, adding that a resolution “must protect Ukraine’s and Europe’s vital security interests.”
The statement was signed by French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and Finnish President Alexander Stubb.
Putin presented a ceasefire proposal to Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff during their Wednesday meeting in Moscow, their fifth gathering this year.
While not all the details are clear, the Russian leader reportedly suggested that Ukraine withdraw its armed forces from the Donetsk region, along with Luhansk, to place both sides on a path to a ceasefire. In that case, Russia would fully control Donetsk, Luhansk and Crimea, a peninsula Moscow annexed in 2014.
Trump signaled Friday at the White House that he is open to land swaps as part of a potential peace deal. Hours later, the president revealed that he would be meeting with Putin next Friday.
“We’re going to get some back, and we’re going to get some switched. There’ll be some swapping of territories to the betterment of both,” the president told reporters when asked about negotiations.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed the idea of Ukraine cede large chunks of it’s land as part of the talks, saying Saturday morning that “of course, we will not give Russia any awards for what it has done.”
“The Ukrainian people deserve peace,” he said, emphasizing that “Ukrainians will not give their land to an occupier.”
European leaders reiterated their calls for Ukraine to have “credible” security guarantees as part of the peace talks to “defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
“Ukraine has the freedom of choice over its own destiny. Meaningful negotiations can only take place in the context of a ceasefire or reduction of hostilities,” the leaders said on Saturday. “The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine.”
The group also emphasized their commitment to the notion that “international borders must not be changed by force” and that the “current line of contact should be the starting point” of the peace talks.
Vice President Vance, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Ukraine representatives and European allies met in Kent, England to discuss Trump’s efforts to forge peace in Eastern Europe on Saturday.
Zelensky’s top adviser, Andriy Yermak, who attended the meeting, along with Ukraine’s Secretary of National Security and Defense Council, Rustem Umerov, said the current front lines should not be considered borders if the eventual peace deal is reached.
“Our positions were clear: a reliable, lasting peace is only possible with Ukraine at the negotiating table, with full respect for our sovereignty and without recognizing the occupation. A ceasefire is necessary — but the front line is not a border,” Yermak said on social media.
“Our partners support us not only in words — assistance will continue in the military, financial, and sanctions spheres until the aggression stops,” he added, thanking Vance for “respecting all points of view, and for his efforts toward a reliable peace.”
In response to Putin’s ceasefire outline this week, European leaders offered a counterproposal, one brought up during the meetings in England, which reportedly stated that a ceasefire must take place before any other concessions advance and that territorial swaps must be reciprocal — meaning if Ukraine pulls out of some territories, Russia’s military must do the same.
A U.S. official told NewsNation that meetings in Kent yielded “significant progress” toward Trump’s goal of ending the Russia-Ukraine war.
Meanwhile, the White House is considering inviting Zelensky to the summit in Alaska. The administration signaled it is open to host a meeting between Trump, Putin and Zelensky, but noted that it is still planning a bilateral meeting between just the president and Kremlin leader.
European leaders, in their Saturday statement, said they will continue to cooperate “closely” with Trump, the U.S. and Zelensky to achieve a peace deal in Ukraine.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
本文於 修改第 1 次
|
|
歐盟、加拿大簽訂國安協議 -- Murray Brewster
|
|
|
推薦1 |
|
|
|
請參考：Two of Biggest U.S. Allies Just Made New Defense Deal--Without Trump
此之謂：眾叛親離；自作孽不可活。Trump is already lowering the bar on China tariffs blasting President Xi as ‘hard to make a deal with’h93此之謂
Canada signs deal deepening European defence and security partnership
Prime Minister Carney met with EU members in Brussels
Murray Brewster, CBC, 06/23/25
Canada and Europe were drawn a little closer together Monday after Prime Minister Mark Carney signed a strategic defence and security partnership with the European Union.
The agreement opens the door for Canadian companies to participate in the $1.25-trillion ReArm Europe program, which is seen as a step toward making Canada less reliant on — and less vulnerable to — the whims of the United States.
Eventually, it will also help the Canadian government partner with other allied nations to buy military equipment under what's known as the SAFE program.
"It will help us deliver on our new requirements for capabilities more rapidly and more effectively, it will help build our industries, secure our jurisdictions," Carney said at the closing news conference of the Canada-EU summit in Brussels.
"We are very pleased to be taking this important step towards participation in SAFE as part of ReArm/Readiness Europe bringing shared expertise, joint research and innovation."
A joint EU/Canada statement released Monday explained Canada will work to increase defence and security co-operation through SAFE and the new security and defence partnership, which will require further talks and agreements before both become reality.
The statement said Canada and the EU will:
* Boost co-operation on maritime security, cybersecurity and other threats to further peace efforts.
* Expand maritime security co-operation and increase co-ordinated naval activities.
* Increase defence industrial co-operation.
* Protect democratic institutions by working together to combat disinformation.
* Tighten Canada's integration with EU forces to improve interoperability in the field.
* Co-operate on defence procurement through the ReArm Europe initiative.
* Work toward a bilateral agreement related to SAFE.
* Explore forming closer ties between Canada and the European Defence Agency.
Carney has been signalling for months that his government is unhappy with spending as much as 70 per cent of its military equipment appropriation on U.S.-made gear.
Other non-EU nations, including the United Kingdom, have already struck their own strategic agreements. Australia signalled last week it has started negotiations on a deal with Europe.
Much of the focus has been on the joint equipment procurement aspects of the impending deal. However, the U.K.'s agreement, made public on May 19, establishes a series of institutional links for crisis management, maritime security and cybersecurity.
It is nowhere near as comprehensive as the NATO alliance. But given the growing uncertainty over the reliability of the Trump administration, the partnership is important.
"It could complement NATO. It's not necessarily a substitute," said Stephen Saideman, who holds the Paterson Chair in International Affairs at Carleton University in Ottawa.
"It makes sense to work with the Europeans as much as we can on defence," he said. "Maybe if we do this kind of thing, NATO can live even if the United States pulls out."
The joint statement released on Monday also says the two parties have agreed to forge a "new ambitious and comprehensive partnership" to "promote shared prosperity, democratic values, peace and security" that goes well beyond security co-operation.
To do that, the statement says, Canada and the EU have launched a process that "will move Canada and the EU closer together" on a number of fronts such as trade, supply chains, aligning regulations, artificial intelligence, climate change, justice and international crisis response on top of security and defence.
"Today this is a new era of co-operation," Carney said. "[This] brings us closer together from defence to digital, from supply chains to security."
NATO spending to be debated
Carney will be attending the North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit in The Hague, in the Netherlands, almost immediately after signing the defence and security deal with the EU.
The 32-member Western military alliance is set to debate raising the defence spending benchmark to a combined five per cent of a country's gross domestic product (3.5 per cent for direct military spending and an additional 1.5 per cent for defence infrastructure).
Christian Leuprecht, a professor at the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ont., said the way the defence partnership and the ReArm Europe program are set up, they could not be considered a replacement for NATO because there's no operational military aspect to the individual arrangements.
However, a significant aspect of the U.K. deal involves strengthening co-operation through "exchanges on situational awareness and threat assessments in areas of common interest, including classified information."
The agreement goes on to say that "the U.K. and the EU will explore additional measures to ensure that classified information can be exchanged swiftly, safely and effectively" in accordance with Britain's security of information laws. That's significant because the U.K. — like Canada — is part of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing network that includes the United States.
It remains unclear, at the moment, whether Canada's deal will contain similar provisions.
Leuprecht describes ReArm Europe as a "cartel" with a mission to drive down prices of military equipment through collective procurement.
A big component of the EU scheme is the SAFE loan program that allows member countries to borrow from a $235-billion fund for military equipment at more favourable rates than direct national borrowing. It's intended for smaller countries with less fiscal capacity and lower credit ratings, Leuprecht said.
There are rules to the loan program that encourage members to buy European and partner equipment.
本文於 修改第 1 次
|
|
|
本城市首頁
看回應文章
等級：8
