Emmanuel Macron Says Europe And US Align Ahead Of NATO Summit In Ankara

European leaders in the E5 format met in Berlin to coordinate a joint position ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara on July 7 and 8, with Ukraine support and NATO’s European pillar at the center of the agenda.

“Top European leaders want to send “a strong signal of support for Ukraine” at the NATO summit in Ankara in July, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz says”

Al Jazeera

French President Emmanuel Macron said Europe and the US were in a “moment of reconvergence” ahead of the summit, pointing to alignment on major security issues after the G7 summit and the European Council meeting.

Al Jazeera

Macron said the process began at the recent G7 summit and continued at last week’s European Council meeting, and he said leaders would seek to consolidate that unity at the NATO summit and at a July 13 meeting of the coalition of the willing supporting Ukraine.

He said the “Americans, together with us” support Ukrainian territorial integrity and sovereignty, support military and energy assistance to Ukraine, support sanctions against Russia, and committed to the same path.

The E5 leaders also pledged “to further substantially support Ukraine in its defence against Russian aggression,” including through sanctions and economic pressure on Russia, as well as support for the resilience of Ukraine’s energy sector.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the E5 meeting was meant to send “a strong signal of support for Ukraine” at the NATO summit in Ankara, adding that “The message to Russia is: Ukraine remains strong.”

Merz said Germany was proposing that European NATO allies make a “strong financing commitment” to Kiev, stressing that Europe’s support for Ukraine “is not wavering.”

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Outgoing British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told reporters in Berlin that the E5 plan should “be the first item on the agenda at the NATO summit in a couple of weeks,” framing it as ramping up pressure on Russia’s economy with more sanctions and providing Ukraine with more military support.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the countries directly threatened by Russia’s aggressive policies—“that is, the countries on our eastern flank”—must be represented in all forums, warning that “Without Poland, without the Scandinavian countries, without the Baltic states, and without Romania, it will be difficult to achieve anything.”

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte joined the leaders’ discussions via video call, and Merz said he would brief Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the outcome of the Berlin talks.

Beyond battlefield support, the E5 leaders tied their NATO summit push to sanctions and pressure on Russia, with the joint statement pledging support for the resilience of Ukraine’s energy sector.

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Euractiv

Macron said a significant development was that all G7 members had signed a common text for the first time in 18 months, and he said the Americans and Europeans declared support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty and for sanctions against Russia.

He also said allies should anchor decisions on Russian oil and gas and continue pressure through sanctions, describing tightening sanctions as “moving precisely in that direction.”

Euronews reported that the E5 summit in Berlin aimed to discuss support and security guarantees for Ukraine and how to strengthen the Atlantic Alliance’s European Pillar ahead of the July 7-8 Ankara summit.

Euronews added that Macron said the process from the G7 in Évian continued at last week’s European Council and was set to continue with the NATO summit in Ankara, followed by the “Coalition of Willing” in support of Ukraine and the security guarantees.