Weimar Triangle revived: Tusk to discuss Ukraine aid with Macron and Scholz amid US Congress blockade
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk is set to engage in critical talks with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz at the upcoming Weimar Triangle summit in Berlin this Friday.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Photo: PAP/Marcin Obara
The revival of this formula of meetings, after years of dormancy, marks a renewed commitment to leveraging the Weimar Triangle as a strategic foreign policy tool.
The Weimar Triangle, encompassing France, Germany, and Poland, is experiencing a rejuvenation, spokesman for the Polish Foreign Ministry, Paweł Wroński, said in a statement on Wednesday. This resurgence comes at a time when Polish-German relations have been strained under the Law and Justice party’s governance, with analysts suggesting that Tusk’s return to power may facilitate the „revitalization” of the Triangle, as noted by Reuters.
Tusk’s meetings in Berlin, particularly with Macron and Scholz, arrive amidst rising tensions between France and Germany, including differences over Macron’s consideration of Western ground troops in Ukraine and Scholz’s opposition.
These disagreements have been described as „nuances on a technical issue” by Chancellor Scholz’s spokesman, Steffen Hebestreit, underscoring the importance of the Weimar Triangle’s role in bridging gaps over Ukraine aid, especially regarding arms supplies.
The backdrop of these discussions also includes former US President Donald Trump’s threats to withhold defense against Russian aggression for NATO allies not meeting financial commitments if he is reelected president this year.
Originating in the early 1990s, the Weimar Triangle was established to support Poland’s integration into the EU and has evolved to address contemporary challenges, including support for Ukraine.
Despite historical challenges and political disputes that cooled relations within the Triangle, recent engagements, including meetings between Duda, Scholz, and Macron in 2022 and 2023, suggest a path toward more robust cooperation in reforming the EU and supporting Ukraine, state news agency PAP quoted German political scientist Kai-Olaf Lang as saying.
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Source: PAP
