European leaders meet for Paris for emergency summit on Ukraine

European leaders meet for Paris for one emergency summit on Ukraine as United States and Russia presidents dey plan meet on Tuesday for Saudi Arabia to discuss peace deal.

Di Saudi Arabia peace meeting no go include Ukraine wey dey fight wit Russia, and European kontris wey don dey support Ukraine for di more dan two years war.

Russia Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov bin say for Europe no get role for any peace tok, suggesting say Europe want di war to continue.

Lavrov tok dis one as im bin dey leave to go Saudi Arabia for tok tok on Ukraine wit US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Ukraine President Zelensky also dey Saudi this week, but im say im no dey involved for di meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russia President Vladimir Putin, as nobody invite am.

For di emergency summit for Paris, UK prime minister Keir Sarmer say any settlement wey go happun for di Ukraine war go need to be "lasting peace deal, not just pause for Putin to come again."

Starmer add say anoda important issue concerning di war, na di mata of "wider peace" wey be di "collective security and defence of Europe. And here I tink we get generational challenge," im add.

After di meeting, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz tell tori pipo Reuters say, support for Ukraine must continue, as I add say, nobody fit impose any order on Ukraine.

Scholz say, im no believe say defence suppose be part of EU budget limit and say di union go fit defence imsef by imsef, if kontris for Europe spend more dan 2% of GDP on defence.

Scholz goes on to say that Germany will continue to invest in military spending, and that it must be more flexible with its budget rules.

Di German Chancellor come add say "no split" suppose dey between US and Europe on responsibility for Ukraine security.

Meanwhile, UK Prime Minister don first tok say, im ready to put UK peacekeeping troops for Ukraine if and wen di war end.

Russia launch full-scale invasion of Ukraine for February 2022.

According to Zelensky says at least 46,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed defending the country, while at least three civilians were killed on Sunday

Europe bin dey expect more aggressive, America-first position from Trump administration, but e dey struggle to catch up as im bin no expect say tins go reach dis extent.

E dey struggle to understand Washington willingness to reach compromises wit Russia about Ukraine, regardless of how e go take affect Europe security.

US decision dey pain European kontris wey fit wan push back.

Dem believe say if dem no do so, dem go end up swallowing indigestible - possibly unsustainable - peace wey dem no go fit enforce.

But again, if dem push back too hard, though, dem risk breaking di transatlantic alliance into wider break.

And Europe influence dey limited, wit military capacity wey no too strong, sake of dem don depend on America security umbrella for years.

United States dey accounts for nearly 43% of all aid wey don go Ukraine since Russia invasion for 2022, according to Kiel Institute for World Economy.

Dis amount na about $120bn and e include all humanitarian, financial and military aid.

Europe as a whole don send less aid to Ukraine than US.

Funding through EU institutions account for just over 18%, wit di largest amounts of additional bilateral aid wey Germany dey provide (6.5%) and UK (5.5%) up to end of 2024.

Looking at just military support for Ukraine, US dominate again for funding, providing 49.4% of all spending since January 2022.

Germany provide nearly 10% and UK don give nearly 8% up to end of December 2024.

Wetin dey agenda?

On Monday morning, UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer say UK dey "ready and dey willing to put troops for ground".

Even for Germany, ahead of one heated election, di foreign policy tok-tok pesin of di CDU party, wey dey expected to win most of di seats say, Europe largest kontri go also commit troops within international framework.

Trump administration no dey 100% sure of wetin dem wan do about Ukraine. Some mixed messages bin fly ova di weekend.

Dis one allow Europe tiny window of opportunity to try persuade di American president say dem be partner im no fit throw one side. Dem dey hope to do am via dis Paris meeting.

Europe leaders insist Kyiv must dey directly involved in ceasefire toks too. For long, dem don maintain di opinion say " decisions about Ukraine no fit dey, without Ukraine".

Which European countries dey show?

No be all European countries go dey for Monday summit. Na only those wit military might go show: UK, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and Denmark – wey dey expected to represent di Baltic and Nordic nations, plus di EU Council president and di secretary general of di defence alliance, Nato.

Reports say oda countries go later hold follow-up meetings.

Even for di small Paris gathering, e go dey hard, if not impossible, to agree on concrete defence spending increases.

Poland dey plan to spend 4.47% of dia GDP on defence for 2025. UK dey struggle and dem neva reach, 2.5% of dia GDP.

But leaders fit pledge to coordinate beta, spend more inside Nato and shoulder most of Ukraine post-war reconstruction.

Di EU dey expected to boost dia defence effort too.

Large part of di Paris meeting go also focus on di question of sending troops to Ukraine afta a ceasefire.

Di idea dem wan discuss no be about peacekeeping troops but instead, "reassurance force", wey dem go station behind, rather dan on any eventual ceasefire line.

Di purpose of di European troop presence go be in three-fold. Firstly, na to send message to Ukrainians: say dem no dey alone. Another message na to di US, to show say Europe dey "do dia bit" for defence of dia own continent, and di last message na to Moscow, to warn say if dem break di terms of an eventual ceasefire, no be only Kyiv dem go dey deal wit.