The French president convenes a second summit of leaders amid cracks among allies. Four years before the war in Ukraine and during Donald Trump's first term, Emmanuel Macron openly challenged the creation of "a true European army" to defend the continent without relying on the United States.

The core dispute was over whether to send troops to Ukraine if there is an agreement to end the war. U.S. President Donald Trump has ruled out both sending U.S. forces and allowing Ukraine to join NATO, meaning that any effort to prevent Russia from attacking Ukraine again would have to be borne by Europeans.