Scholz, Macron and Duda will discuss security guarantees for Ukraine

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Polish President Andrzej Duda will arrive in Paris next Monday for talks with French President Emmanuel Macron. This was reported by Politico with reference to high-ranking French officials.

It is expected that the dinner meeting will be devoted to Ukraine’s desire for NATO membership and security guarantees from the allies.

Last week, Macron called for Ukraine to provide “reliable, concrete and tangible” security guarantees and said that Ukraine should be offered “a path to NATO membership.” Scholz, in turn, made a more cautious statement: according to him, attention should be focused not on membership, but on “how we, as individuals, can support Ukraine.” Poland has repeatedly called to provide Ukraine with reliable security guarantees.

Among Western leaders, as Politico points out, the prevailing opinion is that as long as Ukraine is at war with Russia, it cannot become a full member of NATO. At the same time, the publication notes, NATO members differ in their opinions on how they should react to Ukraine’s desire for membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

According to the French diplomat, NATO members need to send a strong signal to Russia at the moment when Ukraine goes on the counter-offensive. “If we don’t find a solution that satisfies everyone, there is a risk that we won’t come to a single statement. And this, obviously, will be the biggest gift we could give to Russia,” the publication’s interlocutor said.

• The meeting of the leaders of the three countries will take place a month before the July summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which will be held in Vilnius. On it, Ukraine expects from its Western partners a concrete plan of action leading to its accession to NATO.
• The countries of Central Europe, including Poland, are the most resolutely in support of Ukraine’s NATO prospects. On the contrary, Germany takes a cautious position in this matter.