The London meeting

President Volodymyr Zelensky met with the leaders of the E3 group — UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron — in London on Sunday, 7 June. The four leaders agreed on a common European position towards Russia and on talks about ending the war. Poland was not invited.

Tusk's reaction

During a press conference on Tuesday, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said he had spoken at length with Chancellor Merz that morning. Merz explained the motivations behind the London talks and detailed their course. Tusk's response was blunt.

“From Poland's point of view, no arrangements in which Poland does not participate will be respected by us, meaning they will not bind us, and Poland is an absolutely indispensable link for any serious discussion about the future of Ukraine and the region.”

Tusk also revealed he had spoken on Monday with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who he said was not pleased with the existence of the E3 format. He announced that a meeting in an E5 format, including Poland and Italy, is planned soon.

The format dilemma

Tusk acknowledged the difficulty of finding the right negotiating format. Expanding from three to five invites demands from other large European countries like Spain, while the full EU-27 format makes quick decisions nearly impossible due to the unanimity requirement. The E3 format also excludes Nordic countries — Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Norway — all significant political and military allies of Ukraine.

London's response

Downing Street responded through a spokesman, who stressed that the UK wants to cooperate with European partners on Ukraine. The spokesman pointed to months of cooperation with many different states within the 'coalition of the willing' and said the UK is determined to continue working with a wider circle of European partners. The primary goal, he added, remains solidarity with Ukraine. A spokesman for the British Embassy in Warsaw noted that the UK and Poland are determined to jointly counter the threat from Russia, citing the security and defence treaty signed at Northolt last month.

Tusk on negotiations with Russia

Tusk also addressed proposals for a rapid dialogue with Vladimir Putin on Ukraine. He said he approaches such ideas with great caution and insisted that despite differences among European partners, all remain on the same side in the war with Russia.

“It must be unequivocal: no one in Europe will play the role of arbiter between Russia and Ukraine. In this war we are on Ukraine's side. Ukraine cannot lose this war, Russia cannot win this war.”