European leaders insisted Monday on their involvement in Ukraine peace talks, despite Washington and Moscow signaling no immediate role for them in shaping the continent’s future.
A three-hour emergency meeting at the Élysée Palace in Paris concluded without a unified stance among German, U.K., Italian, Polish, Spanish, Dutch, Danish, NATO, and EU leaders on potential peacekeeping troops. This followed a U.S. diplomatic push in Ukraine that disrupted the transatlantic alliance.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged U.S. support, expressing readiness to consider deploying British forces to Ukraine alongside others, contingent on a lasting peace agreement.
However, divisions emerged, with Poland opposing a military presence in Ukraine, and Macron remaining noncommittal.
Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof emphasized the need for a unified European contribution to secure a place at the negotiation table, highlighting the futility of participation without meaningful input.
Starmer stressed the importance of a transatlantic bond, asserting that a U.S. security guarantee is crucial to deterring further Russian aggression against Ukraine.
Top Trump administration officials, during their recent European visit, conveyed a willingness to engage with the Kremlin while appearing to sideline long-standing European allies.
Excluding Europe from negotiations
Gen. Keith Kellogg, Trump’s special envoy, stated that inclusive negotiations are impractical, prioritizing a streamlined approach.
He briefed NATO allies and EU officials in Brussels before traveling to Kyiv for talks with President Zelenskyy.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov echoed this sentiment, questioning Europe’s role in the negotiations.
Last week, Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth questioned Europe’s security commitments and democratic principles.
French President Emmanuel Macron described these rebukes and threats of non-cooperation as shocking.
Trump’s decision to hold talks with President Putin to resolve the Ukraine conflict marked a significant shift in U.S. policy.
Macron spoke with Trump before the Paris meeting, but details of their conversation remain undisclosed.
Continued European support for Ukraine
Starmer, planning a Washington trip to discuss peace terms with President Trump, aims to bridge the gap between Trump and Europe, potentially acting as a key intermediary.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz underscored that a peace agreement cannot be imposed on Ukraine.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez stressed the need for active EU and Ukrainian involvement in any peace agreement to avoid a repeat of past failures and prevent rewarding the aggressor.
Continued significant U.S. involvement is deemed essential due to the time required for European nations to enhance defense capabilities and integration.
Post-peace-deal troop deployment?
Scholz deemed discussions about ground troops premature, citing the uncertainty surrounding any peace negotiation’s outcome.
Despite years of U.S. pressure, European nations are increasing defense spending, with many reaching 2% of GDP, although the path to 3% remains unclear.
Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk advocated for increased European defense capabilities, noting consensus on enhanced defense spending as a necessity. Poland currently dedicates over 4% of its GDP to defense.
—Casert reported from Brussels. Associated Press writers Thomas Adamson in Paris, Suman Naishadham in Madrid, Lorne Cook in Brussels, Geir Moulson and Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin, Dusan Stojanovic in Belgrade, Serbia, Vanessa Gera in Warsaw, Poland, Justin Spike in Kyiv and Karel Janicek in Prague, Czech Republic contributed to this report.