Leaders from around 44 countries are gathering Thursday to launch a “European Political Community” aimed at boosting security and economic prosperity across the continent, with Russia the one major European power not invited.
The meeting in the Czech capital Prague is the brainchild of French President Emmanuel Macron and is backed by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. It’s taking place amid the backdrop of Russia’s war on Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24, and as pressure builds to allow Ukraine to join the European Union.
