Truss calls for united front against Russia at first meeting of new pan-European group

Liz Truss should meet Emmanuel Macron as she urges continental leaders to unite against Russian aggression when she addresses the inaugural summit of a new pan-European grouping on Thursday.
Brows were raised when the prime minister said she would attend at the meeting of the European Political Community, considered the brainchild of the French president.
As foreign minister, she was skeptical about the event, but she should use it to explain how the UK has continued to play a leading role in Europe after Brexit, as evidenced by the response to Ukraine.
The event will bring together the 27 leaders of the EU and 17 managers from outside the club, including the UK and Norway.
It will kick off alongside renewed attempts to break the impasse over Northern Ireland with the restart of Brussels for the first time since February. Ms Truss will use the summit to warn that Europe is facing "its biggest crisis since the Second World War".
It should encourage countries to go further and faster to end dependence on Russian energy and “augurate a new era of resilience and independence”. Besides energy, migration is seen as a priority.
She will also meet with the leaders of France and the Netherlands in a bid to secure progress on joint operations to disrupt criminal gangs profiting from illegal immigration.
< This meeting will be the second since she said the jury was 'out' on whether Mr Macron was friend or foe of the UK in the Tory leadership race. They also held talks at a UN summit in New York last month.
She will also use the summit to call on leaders to commit to keeping oil and gas interconnections open this winter. Officials expect her to hold talks on joint plans to develop new nuclear and offshore wind projects.
She will tell the summit's opening plenary: "The Europe is facing its greatest crisis since World War II. And we have faced it together with unity and determination.
"We must continue to stand firm, to ensure that Ukraine wins this war, but also to deal with the strategic challenges it has exposed."

Politics Oct 6, 2022 0 57 Add to Reading List

Truss calls for united front against Russia at first meeting of new pan-European group

Liz Truss should meet Emmanuel Macron as she urges continental leaders to unite against Russian aggression when she addresses the inaugural summit of a new pan-European grouping on Thursday.

Brows were raised when the prime minister said she would attend at the meeting of the European Political Community, considered the brainchild of the French president.

As foreign minister, she was skeptical about the event, but she should use it to explain how the UK has continued to play a leading role in Europe after Brexit, as evidenced by the response to Ukraine.

The event will bring together the 27 leaders of the EU and 17 managers from outside the club, including the UK and Norway.

It will kick off alongside renewed attempts to break the impasse over Northern Ireland with the restart of Brussels for the first time since February. Ms Truss will use the summit to warn that Europe is facing "its biggest crisis since the Second World War".

It should encourage countries to go further and faster to end dependence on Russian energy and “augurate a new era of resilience and independence”. Besides energy, migration is seen as a priority.

She will also meet with the leaders of France and the Netherlands in a bid to secure progress on joint operations to disrupt criminal gangs profiting from illegal immigration.

< This meeting will be the second since she said the jury was 'out' on whether Mr Macron was friend or foe of the UK in the Tory leadership race. They also held talks at a UN summit in New York last month.

She will also use the summit to call on leaders to commit to keeping oil and gas interconnections open this winter. Officials expect her to hold talks on joint plans to develop new nuclear and offshore wind projects.

She will tell the summit's opening plenary: "The Europe is facing its greatest crisis since World War II. And we have faced it together with unity and determination.

"We must continue to stand firm, to ensure that Ukraine wins this war, but also to deal with the strategic challenges it has exposed."