**European Leaders to Meet in Paris to Discuss Ukraine’s NATO Membership**
French President Emmanuel Macron is hosting a summit of European powers on February 17 to discuss Ukraine’s potential membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The meeting will also cover other issues, including defense capabilities for Ukraine and a plan for automatic NATO membership if Russia violates a ceasefire.
The Paris meeting comes as a US delegation arrives in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for talks with Russian officials on ending the war in Ukraine. Macron plans to demand that the US stop blocking Europe and Kyiv from the negotiation process.
**UK, Germany, Poland, and Italy to Attend Summit**
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, and Italian leaders will attend the summit, along with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The meeting aims to determine how to respond to a US request for EU leaders to contribute troops to a stabilization force in case of a ceasefire.
**Ukraine’s Path to NATO Membership**
Ukraine officially applied to join NATO in September 2022 after Russia’s full-scale invasion. While NATO members stated at the 2024 summit that Ukraine’s path to membership is “irreversible,” they have yet to extend a formal invitation. The Paris meeting will discuss how to ensure reliable security guarantees for Ukraine, including its automatic membership in NATO if Russia violates a ceasefire.
**US-Russia Talks on Ending War**
The US delegation, led by State Secretary Marco Rubio, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, is set to begin negotiations with Russian officials aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. The talks follow a US request for EU leaders to clarify whether they are willing to contribute troops to a stabilization force.
**Ukraine’s Concerns**
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed concerns about the potential imposition of neutrality on Ukraine and joint US-Russia powers’ sharing of agreed-upon spheres of influence following negotiations. Zelensky emphasized that Ukraine will “never accept any decisions between the United States and Russia” regarding the outcome of peace negotiation without Ukraine’s participation.
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