Europe Left Out of Ukraine Peace Talks, US Envoy Says
Donald Trump’s Ukraine envoy, Keith Kellogg, said on Saturday that Europe won’t have a seat at the table for Ukraine peace talks. According to Reuters, the U.S. sent a questionnaire to European countries asking what they could do to help guarantee Ukraine’s security.
This move has raised concerns among European allies, who fear being left out of a deal that could affect their own safety, especially if it favors Russia.
Earlier this week, Trump surprised Europe by calling Russian President Vladimir Putin without warning and announcing the start of peace talks. U.S. officials have also hinted that Europe should take the lead in handling regional security, as America focuses on issues like border security and countering China.
At a security conference in Munich, Kellogg explained that the U.S. would act as a middleman in the talks, with Ukraine and Russia as the main parties.
When asked if Europe would be included, he said, “I’m from a school of realism. I think that’s not gonna happen.” However, he tried to reassure Europeans by saying their interests would still be considered.
European leaders, like Finland’s President Alexander Stubb, disagreed. “There’s no way we can discuss Ukraine’s future or European security without Europeans,” he said. Stubb added that Europe needs to “talk less and do more” and that the U.S. questionnaire would force Europeans to think carefully about their role.
The U.S. document reportedly asked European countries how many soldiers they could send to support Ukraine. France is considering holding a meeting with European leaders to discuss these issues, but no decisions have been made yet, according to Reuters.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte urged Europeans to step up, saying, “Get into the debate, not by complaining, but by coming up with concrete ideas and increasing defense spending.” Kellogg suggested the talks could focus on Russia giving up some territory and targeting Putin’s oil income, calling Russia a “petrostate” that relies heavily on oil sales.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, speaking at the same conference, called for a European army, saying Europe can no longer rely on U.S. protection. He warned that Putin might try to use Trump as a “prop” at Russia’s World War Two victory parade in May. Zelenskiy also said Ukraine would never accept a peace deal made without its input.
While European nations currently cooperate through NATO, the idea of a single European army has been rejected in the past. A senior official from an Eastern EU country dismissed Zelenskiy’s proposal, saying, “There is a European military force called NATO.”
Despite tensions, there are signs of cooperation. On Saturday, G7 foreign ministers, including the U.S., agreed to keep working together for a lasting peace deal for Ukraine with strong security guarantees, Reuters reported.
This summary is based on information from Reuters.