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Weimar+

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Weimar+
Membership
Establishment12 February 2025

Weimar+ is a European diplomatic and geopolitical alliance first named in February 2025, expanding upon the original Weimar Triangle regional alliance of France, Germany, and Poland to include additional major European powers. The group was immediately established in response to shifts in United States policy towards the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War and the transatlantic security architecture under the Trump administration, particularly United States president Donald Trump's telephone conversation with Russian president Vladimir Putin excluding Europe from Ukraine-related negotiations. The group broadly promotes European sovereignty and geopolitical influence independent of the United States, especially regarding continued aid for Ukraine and potential increases in national military spending.

History

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The Weimar+ group was established as an expansion of the Weimar Triangle (France, Germany, and Poland) to include the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, and the European Commission as participants, with foreign ministers serving as primary representatives.[1][2] Unlike its parent organisation, the expanded format includes both EU members and the United Kingdom.[3][4]

The group's exigent inaugural meeting on 12 February 2025 in Paris was in response to rapid developments in United States-led peace initiatives regarding the Russo-Ukrainian War, primarily United States president Donald Trump's telephone conversation the day before[5] with Russian president Vladimir Putin. Foreign Minister of France Jean-Noël Barrot stated during the meeting that without European involvement, there would be "no just and lasting peace in Ukraine". Spanish foreign minister José Manuel Albares expressed that European governments needed "unity" towards sustaining Ukraine position to be part of the negotiations.[1]

The group made its first public statement under the Weimar+ name following the meeting, written in direct response to President Donald Trump's insistence that neither European nor Ukrainian delegates would be involved in negotiations to end the conflict.[6][7] The joint declaration affirmed continued European support for Ukraine until the achievement of a "just, comprehensive, and sustainable peace", with or without the United States. The group specifically emphasised that any peace agreement must protect both Ukrainian and broader European security interests. They also asserted the necessity of European participation in any negotiation process concerning Ukraine's future, and that negotiations must put Ukraine "in a position of strength". The statement mentioned the possibility of increased military spending among European nations to promoting the sovereignty of Europe as a power that could geopolitically operate independently of the United States.[1]

On 15 February, French president Emmanuel Macron announced a high-level diplomatic summit for 17 February 2025 under Weimar+.[2] The emergency summit[8] was arranged following United States vice president JD Vance's controversial speech at the 61st Munich Security Conference, accusing European leaders of democratic backsliding and restricting freedom of speech mainly regarding the annullment of the 2024 Romanian presidential election, increased social media regulation, and prosecution regarding safe access zones and speech regarding religion.[9][10][11] Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis called the Weimar+ summit a marker of the end of Europe's "age of innocence" operating under American geopolitical interests, and an opportunity to rapidly prioritize its own "strategic autonomy" under a united framework. He agreed to communicate with its representatives.[12]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Roth, Andrew (13 February 2025). "No lasting peace in Ukraine without European role in talks, leaders say after Trump-Putin call". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
  2. ^ a b "Macron invites European leaders to Paris". Ukrinform. 15 February 2025. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
  3. ^ "Meeting in Paris: participants of the 'Weimar+' format declared their readiness to strengthen support for Ukraine". 112.ua. 13 February 2025. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
  4. ^ "Weimar+ Statement by Germany, France, Poland, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, the European External Action Service and the European Commission". GOV.UK (Press release). 12 February 2025. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
  5. ^ Lowe, Yohannes (16 February 2025). "European leaders to hold emergency summit as Trump team plans talks with Russia over Ukraine – Europe live". The Guardian.
  6. ^ "Weimar+ statement (France, Germany, Poland, Italy, Spain, United-Kingdom, Ukraine, HRVP, European Commission) (12 Feb. 2025)". Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. 12 February 2025. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
  7. ^ "Statement by Weimar+ on the support to Ukraine". European External Action Service. 13 February 2025. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
  8. ^ Lowe, Yohannes; Bryant, Tom (16 February 2025). "John Major accuses US of 'cuddling' up to Putin and condemns JD Vance's Munich speech – as it happened". The Guardian.
  9. ^ Marquardt, Alex; Edwards, Christian; Contorno, Steve; Williams, Michael (14 February 2025). "Vance turns on European allies in blistering speech that downplayed threats from Russia and China". CNN. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
  10. ^ Hains, Tim (14 February 2025). "Full Speech: Vice President JD Vance Tells Munich Security Conference 'There's A New Sheriff In Town'". RealClearPolitics. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
  11. ^ Gardner, Frank (15 February 2025). "Munich Security Conference: Vance 's blast on Europe ignores Ukraine and defence agenda". BBC. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
  12. ^ "How Greece "reads" geopolitical developments: The European wake-up call, the concern over Ukraine and the decisions on defense". ProtoThema English. 17 February 2025. Retrieved 17 February 2025.
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