Noteworthy remarks from Merz and Macronpublished at 16:40 GMT 8 December
Joe Inwood
World news correspondent
Image source, EPA
While we heard the usual diplomatic niceties in Downing Street, with talk of unwavering European support for Ukraine, there were a couple of contributions that were of particular note and somewhat off the expected script.
The German Chancellor, Merz, says he’s “sceptical” about some of the details coming out of Washington.
Without elaborating on exactly which elements, this is somewhat of a deviation from the usual praise lavished upon the attempts of the Trump administration to find a peaceful solution.
Even more notable was when French President Macron referred to Europe having “a lot of cards in our hands”.
This was surely no idle phrase. On the surface he was making the point that the continent is a vast economic and diplomatic power, and able to influence the course of this war.
But it is also being seen as a direct reference to the now infamous White House bust-up between the US and Ukrainian presidents.
Back in February, as tempers frayed, Trump dressed down his Ukrainian guest by saying “you don’t have the cards”.
In the aftermath of that, European leaders immediately rallied around Ukraine’s president, once again in Downing Street.
But, holding cards and playing them well are very different things. We await to see how Europe uses its hand.
