Olaf Scholz to join key European leaders at London defence summit

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has been invited to London for a major defence summit, along with other key European leaders, the German government said on Friday.

The outgoing chancellor will visit the UK’s capital on Sunday as part of a meeting between European, EU and NATO leaders to discuss defence and the continent’s security.

The gathering is the latest in a slew of top-level meetings in reaction to US President Donald Trump’s turning support away from Europe and having begun to try to broker a ceasefire deal between Russia and Ukraine.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has also invited European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, and the European Council President António Costa to attend.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will also be there.

Both French President Emmanuel Macron and Starmer visited Trump this week in Washington to try to convince the US president not to leave Ukraine in the lurch during a potential deal with Moscow and to maintain good relations between the EU and the US.

The European leaders will also meet in Brussels for a special summit next Thursday.