In Albania, European leaders seek US solidarity for Ukraine

The meeting of the European Political Community ended on Friday evening in Tirana, Albania, as planned without any decisions.

The talks brought together 27 EU member states, Turkey, the UK, countries from the Western Balkans and other governments from within Europe. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was present as leaders discussed European security, Russia's war of aggression, competitiveness and migration. The Kremlin and Belarusian government were explicitly not invited.

"This is a good opportunity to meet many of the European heads of state and government in person," German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said as he arrived in Tirana for his first major European summit since taking office on May 6.

Some participants said they had high expectations of the German chancellor, including Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who said she was looking forward to working together on security and arms, as well as migration.

Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas said he expected important economic and political input and saw Germany as being on the right course.

Merz has made a "very strong" appearance on the European stage so far with trips to Paris, Warsaw, Brussels and Kyiv, Janis Emmanouilidis, a political scientist from European Policy Center in Brussels, told DW. However, expectations of the new chancellor and his government are "extremely high," with many member states of the mind that Germany should play a greater role in decision-making and creating momentum at the EU level.

Whether Merz can meet these expectations also depends on how strong he is domestically, Emmanouilidis said. Merz still has to win the trust of the German public and politicians within his own ranks. The question is whether people expect too much of a chancellor who is still settling into his new role, Emmanouilidis said.

Top priority: Ukraine

Merz did not appear to be struggling with his new place on the European stage on Friday. In the early afternoon, he appeared before the press together with French President Emmanuel Macron, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The four politicians had already traveled to Ukraine together the previous weekend.

Following talks there with Zelenskyy, the quartet had a call with US President Donald Trump, Starmer said. The British prime minister called Russia's position "clearly unacceptable," saying the European governments and the United States are in close consultation regarding a response.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has allowed a 30-day ceasefire to lapse and did not appear in Istanbul the day before for direct talks with Zelenskyy — a decision that was criticized several times in Tirana. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte called sending a low-ranking Russian delegation to the table a "mistake."

Merz was also "very disappointed" by the outcome of the talks, but said further offers for dialogue would be made and European governments would coordinate with the United States.

"We have to undertake all efforts we can to keep the Americans on our side," Merz said to his European counterparts. "We cannot substitute, or replace, what the Americans still do for us in Europe ... for our peace and freedom."

Further EU sanctions

Zelenskyy called for further sanctions against Russia's energy and banking sectors should the Kremlin not take negotiations seriously. "Pressure on Russia must be maintained until Russia is ready to end the war,” he told the other leaders.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had already announced that morning that new sanctions against Russia were in the works. These will take aim at the country's financial sector, along with the Nord Stream natural gas pipelines from Russia to the European Union. The price limit for crude oil will also be lowered further. It remains unclear whether these sanctions will be coordinated with the United States, but, the German news agency dpa reports, the US has been advised that sanctions on Russia must be maintained.

Germany's government is trying to increase pressure on Russia, Emmanouilidis said. But he warned that the EU's influence should not be overestimated, as the US, Turkey and China have greater clout.

This article was originally written in German.