Correspondence // Weimar Triangle Plus: "The most important" meeting dedicated to Ukraine in the EU
Following a discussion among EU foreign ministers about the situation in Ukraine yesterday in Brussels, which included informal participation from Deputy Prime Minister Mihai Popșoi, four of those ministers are convening again today in Warsaw for another meeting focused on Ukraine. Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski has referred to this meeting as "the most important today."
This gathering takes place in the "Weimar PLUS" format, which includes the founding countries of the "Weimar Triangle"—Germany, France, and Poland—along with Italy. The "Weimar Triangle" was established in Weimar, Germany, in 1991, originally aimed at supporting Poland's transition from communism. This alliance included France, Poland's historical ally, Germany, which had a more complicated history with Poland, and of course, Poland itself. The German foreign minister at the time, Hans-Dietrich Genscher, chose Weimar for the inaugural meeting because of its location in former East Germany.
Poland secured a commitment from Germany and France to support its special association status in the Western European Union, which later became the European arm of NATO. Since then, these three countries have held regular meetings of foreign ministers, as well as occasional summits with their leaders.
The inclusion of Italy today is significant for several reasons. Firstly, Italy, along with the three other countries, represents the main four military powers in continental Europe. Secondly, Italy's far-right government aligns with the current trends in Europe, and importantly, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is pro-Atlantic, pro-NATO, and anti-Putin. Additionally, Meloni appears to have a close relationship with Elon Musk, who is currently one of Donald Trump's favored advisers.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andri Sibiha will also participate in the meeting. Estonia's Kaja Kallas, who is set to become the new head of European diplomacy, will also be present.
During the meeting, the four ministers will discuss intelligence findings suggesting that a Chinese factory is producing military drones currently being used by Russia in its war against Ukraine. This will raise questions about Beijing's involvement, challenging the claims of neutrality from Xi Jinping's government. However, it is noted that there will be no immediate discussions of sanctions.
Historically, the "Weimar Triangle" has facilitated some concrete military collaborations, even though many of these initiatives did not materialize. For instance, in July 2011, France, Germany, and Poland signed an agreement in Brussels to establish a 1,700-soldier unit, under Polish command, known as the Battle Group Weimar, which was intended to be ready for deployment in crisis areas by 2013.
Additionally, in February 2024, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called for Poland to join the German-led European Sky Shield Initiative.
