Europe must be honest with Ukraine. Honesty means promising only what is possible—what Ukrainians can truly rely on. Ukrainian citizens naturally associate all their expectations with whatever comes from the European Union or Europe as a whole.
March was indeed a month of European diplomacy. One cannot complain about a lack of diplomatic activity this month.
We begin in the United Kingdom
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer organized two major international meetings in March (on 2 March) to support Ukraine and strengthen European security. From its position as a strong nation and a permanent member of the UN Security Council, the UK hosted a summit titled "2025 London Summit on Ukraine". Its aim was to form "coalitions of the willing" among European countries willing to provide Ukraine with security guarantees and increase military support if peace talks with Russia failed. The summit was attended by leaders from 16 countries and representatives of the EU and NATO. This summit continued on 15 March in the form of a virtual conference, again chaired by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, with the same motivation—to continue discussions on supporting Ukraine and coordinate international efforts. Finally, during March, the British Prime Minister convened a meeting of military leaders from the UK, France, and Ukraine aimed at strengthening Ukraine’s security. The Prime Minister's diplomatic activity was an expression of the will to build a coalition of the willing, even without clearly defining who would ultimately make it up.
France was just as active, almost competing with Britain
French President Emmanuel Macron also expressed a similar ambition. In March 2025, he hosted several important meetings of leaders in Paris focused on supporting Ukraine and strengthening European security. At the Élysée Palace (27 March), he held a summit attended by top representatives of nearly 30 countries. The main goal aligned with the British initiative: support for Ukraine, possibilities for ceasefire, and securing peace. The summit built upon recent previous talks between leaders in Paris and London. Subsequently, on 11 March, chiefs of general staff from 34 NATO countries, Japan, and Australia met in Paris. Discussions focused on supporting Ukraine and providing security guarantees for a future peace agreement—including the possibility of deploying European peacekeeping forces if the US does not join. This was followed by a meeting on 12 March of defense ministers from the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Ukraine, aimed at strengthening European defense and providing Ukraine with security assurances. This was followed by a meeting of army commanders in Paris.
Brussels did not lag behind either
In March (6 March), an extraordinary meeting of the European Council took place in Brussels. The main topics of the EU summit were continuing support for Ukraine and strengthening European defense. It was followed by the regular meeting of the European Council (20–21 March).
EU leaders discussed key issues such as support for Ukraine and strengthening European defense and security. During this session, an informal Euro Summit format meeting was also held, along with a working lunch with UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
This is an example of a diplomatic marathon. And what message does it send to Ukraine? Has the feverish diplomatic activity actually changed European policy? Those considered strong supporters of Ukraine once again confirmed their willingness. However, we do not know the stance of many NATO and EU member states regarding March’s diplomatic efforts. There was overlap between EU and NATO countries, and Ukrainians did not receive certainty that Europe would actually send troops to Ukraine. Instead, they learned that Europe will focus on building its own defense capabilities, developing a European defense industry, and sending weapons to Ukraine—but leave the fighting to Ukrainians.
Cyril Svoboda
