Berlin and Paris are not interested in strong Brussels - political expert 

He shared his opinions with Espreso TV. 

"It is important to understand that this is a completely normal group dynamic. When there is someone who is half a step ahead - like Kaja Kallas or other steadfast friends of ours who have strongly supported Ukraine from the very beginning - they broke through this wall. But then, when it becomes the norm and everyone declares the need for decisive action, these pioneers start to seem like a silent reproach to the rest. This can lead to some irritation toward them and even accusations that they are now part of the problem. The situation is clear to everyone, but the level of readiness is different, and the level of need remains overwhelming. That’s why we see how the 'coalition of the willing,' on the one hand, adopts the same ideas that Kaja Kallas and other friends of Ukraine, like Borrell or other European top politicians - whether current or former - expressed earlier. They absorb these ideas, appropriating them as their own," he noted.

Oleh Saakian noted that this is a completely normal process of the flow of ideas and the shifting of leadership. Moreover, he said that Brussels, now active and assertive, is becoming a certain problem for several European capitals.

"Firstly, Trump completely ignores the European Union. His team operates on the principle of 'divide and conquer,' engaging only with individual European capitals and dividing them into those they communicate with and those they completely ignore. Brussels is simply overlooked, with no meetings held with its representatives, including von der Leyen, with whom there has been no meeting or communication, and the same goes for the ministry. Secondly, there is an internal European aspect. Kaja Kallas is accused of her supposed intransigence, which allegedly prevents the United States from activating dialogue. The second aspect is internal European. Paris is pulling the blanket over itself to become the security capital of the European Union, converting this into the political capital of the European Union, with an external player like London legitimizing this exclusive role for Paris. Germany is seeking its place under the sun and is effectively claiming the role of the EU’s Ministry of Defense - dealing with the military-industrial complex, capabilities, and infrastructure. And the only country that has managed to allocate 500+ billion to focus on rearmament, including in cooperation with other states, not just for itself," said the political scientist.

In his opinion, neither Berlin nor Paris are interested in a strong Brussels. During Josep Borrell's tenure, after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Brussels pulled the blanket over itself.

"Remember how Borrell even used the European Peace Facility to purchase shells, managed to consolidate all European power, relying on the eastern flank, particularly the Baltic States, Scandinavia from the north, and parts of Central Europe. He shifted foreign and security policy to Brussels. This caused indigestion in Paris and Berlin, who lost that control. Not to mention Rome, which is also not very happy about it. And so now we see internal European struggles against Brussels' initiatives. Essentially, they want to implement them, but they want them to be associated with their capitals and to be national proposals, not a top-down position taken in Brussels, like delegating part of sovereignty to Central European authorities," says Oleh Saakian.

• On March 17, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs announced the bloc's plans to provide €40 billion in military aid to Ukraine.
• Italy, France and Slovakia insisted on a softer version of the Kallas plan to help Ukraine.
• On March 19, Kallas announced that Ukraine would be part of a new €150 billion EU defense initiative. The money is to be used primarily for weapon components produced in the EU and Ukraine.
• On March 27, it was reported that EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas had faced criticism in the first months of her work. Officials recall too aggressive statements against Russia and confrontation with the U.S. administration.

What is the Coalition of the Willing and who are its members?

The Coalition of the Willing is a group of countries committed to supporting Ukraine in its war with Russia and helping establish peace in the region. Most members have expressed their willingness to send peacekeeping troops to Ukraine or, at the very least, have suggested it as an option. The creation of the coalition was announced by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer following the summit of 18 world leaders in London on March 2, 2025.

The initiative aims to strengthen European support for Ukraine, particularly in light of the uncertainty surrounding U.S. policy, and to lay the groundwork for a lasting peaceful resolution to the Russian-Ukrainian war. The name of the coalition was coined by Czech President Petr Pavel, who, before the London summit, called for the formation of a "broad coalition of those willing" to end Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

On March 11, 2025, representatives from the security services of 30 countries gathered in Paris to discuss the creation of an international security force for Ukraine, aimed at maintaining peace if a ceasefire agreement comes into effect.

On March 15, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer held a virtual meeting with leaders from Europe and the Commonwealth to assemble the “coalition of the willing” and explore options for a "security force" that could be deployed in Ukraine to deter renewed Russian attacks if a ceasefire agreement is reached. Following the meeting, Starmer emphasized that the coalition had rejected Putin's “yes, but” approach to a ceasefire in Ukraine.

The initiative is led by the United Kingdom and France, with the coalition of the willing also including other EU countries, the European Union itself, and states that are not members of either NATO or the European Union. While there is no official list of coalition members, the following countries can be preliminarily identified as part of the coalition: France, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Baltic States (Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia), the Netherlands, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Spain, Denmark, Romania, Norway, Finland, Turkey, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and others.

• On Wednesday, March 26, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in France for an official visit. At the Élysée Palace, he met with French President Emmanuel Macron.