Monday, 17 August 2026Europe · Analysis
Independent · Brussels & Berlin
Person
US Special Envoy, White House
European leaders ended emergency talks in Brussels welcoming the US president's retreat from tariff threats while signalling they will not dismantle the anti-coercion instrument until the Arctic dispute is formally settled.
Washington joins coalition of willing for first time as Trump envoys signal support for binding commitments, while Britain and France pledge troops and territorial disputes remain unresolved.
European leaders outlined a multinational force and legally binding commitments in Berlin, yet experts disagree on whether the guarantees match NATO's Article 5 and the Kremlin has already dismissed a Christmas ceasefire.
Zelensky meets Starmer, Macron and Merz in London before Brussels NATO talks, with territory concessions and security guarantees still unresolved while Trump criticises Kyiv publicly.
European leaders joined Zelenskyy at the White House as Trump described a guarantee framework reliant on European troops backed by US air power, with formal details promised within ten days.
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