Weimar Triangle summit: Poland, France and Germany united on security and support for Ukraine

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hosted France's President Emmanuel Macron and Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Berlin on Friday to revive the so-called Weimar Triangle format, established between the three countries in 1991.

At a joint press conference after the talks, the three leaders reaffirmed their support for a Ukraine, whose ammunition-starved troops face their toughest battles since the early days of Russia's invasion two years ago.

Tusk said during the conference that the meeting on Friday showed "that some malicious rumours that there are differences between European capitals are very exaggerated".

"I’m delighted that you have accepted my invitation to meet in Poland in early summer and it will be an opportunity to take stock of what we have achieved together so far and to make new plans," Tusk said and thanked the other two leaders.

"I believe this is a good new beginning for the Weimar Triangle, a great format which we will all profit from."

"Today we spoke with one voice, above all, about the security of our continent," the Polish PM stressed.

"We have identical opinions when it comes to who is the aggressor. Support for Ukraine must be immediate and as intensive as it gets," he added.

Tusk said the talks had also pertained to transatlantic relations. In his view, "strong, united Europe is the best possible partner for everyone across the globe, with no exceptions, and that, of course, includes the United States.

Scholz said the leaders had agreed on the need to procure more weapons for Ukraine on the global market and to boost the production of military gear, including through cooperation with partners in Ukraine.

"Today, we have agreed on a few main issues and among others, we will acquire even more weapons for Ukraine, in fact on the entire world market. That’s a good improvement. Second, the production of military equipment will be expanded, also through cooperation with partners inside Ukraine, he added.

"We will use windfall profits from Russian assets frozen in Europe to financially support the purchase of weapons for Ukraine," Scholz said, backing a proposal made by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen last month.

German chancellor added that the leaders also agreed on the need for the Ukraine Defence Contact group to set up a coalition to provide long-distance artillery to Kyiv.

A proposal to set up a long-range missile coalition had already been agreed in Paris on Feb. 26. It was unclear whether Scholz's comments referred to this and how Germany, which has opposed sending its long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine, would participate.

Ukrainian and German defence ministers are set to meet on Monday at the Ramstein U.S. Air Base in Germany.

"We stand closely by Ukraine’s side. We have made this clear from the beginning and this is true for as long as it takes. It's clear we support Ukraine and it is also clear we are not ourselves at war with Russia. Our common aim is and remains to ensure Ukraine can effectively defend itself against Russia's aggression," Scholz stressed.

"Our support will not ebb."

President Emmanuel Macron reassured that France and its allies will continue to support Ukraine as long as it takes.

"Europe's security is at stake in Ukraine," he said ahead of talks with Scholz and Tusk.

At the conference after the talks the French president stressed that France, Germany and Poland "will do everything as necessary for as long as needed so that Russia cannot win this war". "This determination is steadfast and implies our unity."

He added that the three leaders had agreed on the need to reinforce support for Moldova, which says Russia is trying to destabilize it through a "hybrid war".

Macron also informed he had agreed with Scholz and Tusk to never initiate an escalation with Russia, a possible way to downplay talk of sending Western ground troops to Ukraine, which has irked Germany.

"It’s our future, our security which is at stake in Ukraine," he reiterated. "We are doing this out of solidarity for the people of Ukraine whose territorial integrity is being threatened, we are doing this to defend international law and we are doing it because the security of Europeans and of us is at stake in Ukraine. It is with this determination that we want to oppose the war of aggression launched by Russia."

"The fact that the three of us today are united and determined with the same clear-sightedness on the situation in Ukraine and determined never to let Russia win and to support the people of Ukraine until the end is a strength for us, our people, our security and our Europe," the French leader underscored.

U.S. President Joe Biden has been unable to get a big Ukraine aid package through Congress, and much of his foreign policy energy is focused on the war in Gaza. At home, an election rematch with Donald Trump looms large.

At the summit in Paris and a follow-up ministerial meeting, Washington had only sent its assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs.

That makes Kyiv's European allies - and their ability to work together effectively - all the more critical, with ammunition-starved Ukrainian troops facing their toughest battles since the early days of Russia's invasion.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg issued a stark warning to members of the alliance on Thursday (March 15) that Ukraine was running out of ammunition and they were not doing enough to help.

"It is an urgent need for allies to make the decisions necessary to step and provide more ammunition to Ukraine. That's my message to all capitals," Stoltenberg said.

Donald Tusk underscores the importance of revitalizing the so-called Weimar Triangle of cooperation between Warsaw, Berlin and Paris, after eight years of nationalist rule in Poland that had strained those relations.

Poland's strategic location neighboring Ukraine has made it a vital partner in Europe's quest to support Kyiv.

Still, questions over weapons supplies and also whether Ukraine has the forces to face Russia in the long term has left some allies wavering in their support.

"There are some who do not believe Ukraine will win the war now and think that Europe is not capable of getting the long-term support Ukraine needs and consider that the U.S. cannot be counted upon," said one European diplomat.