European leaders are preparing for an urgent working meeting in Paris on Monday to unify their stance following the Trump administration’s announcement that Europe would not be included in negotiations with Russia aimed at resolving the conflict in Ukraine.
The gathering, which will include several prominent European leaders, seeks to discuss “the situation in Ukraine and security matters in Europe” by “bringing together all partners committed to peace and security” in the area, as stated by the office of French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday.
This meeting comes just a day before U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to meet with Russian officials in Saudi Arabia, discussions that will exclude Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is currently in the United Arab Emirates on a planned visit to enhance humanitarian aid for Ukraine, according to officials.
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Over the weekend, Zelenskyy told NBC News’ Kristen Welker that he would “never accept any agreements made between the United States and Russia regarding Ukraine,” asserting that there is “no leader in the world capable of negotiating with Putin without us at the table.”
His comments came despite the State Department distributing a survey to its NATO allies, requesting information on their planned contributions to security guarantees for Kyiv, as reported by four Western officials to the Financial Times.
European leaders are increasingly apprehensive that Trump is proceeding with a peace agreement alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin that could jeopardize both Kyiv’s interests and the broader security of Europe, especially after Trump’s envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, indicated at the Munich Security Conference that European nations would not be included in the peace negotiations.
The Élysée Palace announced that leaders from several European Union countries would participate in the meeting, alongside British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the presidents of the European Council and European Commission, and the NATO secretary-general. They stated that the meeting would commence at 3:45 p.m. local time (9:45 a.m. ET).
Regarding the agenda, Finnish President Alexander Stubb suggested on Sunday, as the Munich Security Conference concluded, that European nations collaborate to appoint a special envoy to represent their interests in wider negotiations involving the U.S., Russia, and Ukraine.
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The discussions might also center on the security guarantees that Ukraine can expect from its European allies.
France’s foreign minister hinted on Sunday that talks are progressing regarding the deployment of troops from France, Britain, and Poland— the three countries with the largest armies in Europe — to ensure a future ceasefire in Ukraine.
On Monday, Starmer became the first European leader to affirm his country’s commitment to sending peacekeeping forces to Ukraine, expressing this in writing in the U.K.’s Daily Telegraph.
Similarly, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson stated that his country would consider contributing to peacekeeping efforts if negotiations advance, as reported by Reuters.
However, Rubio, the U.S. Secretary of State, attempted to alleviate European concerns about being excluded from discussions regarding security in their region during an interview with CBS News on Sunday, asserting that Ukraine and Europe would be included in any “genuine negotiations.”
Following Trump’s phone conversation with Putin last week, he assured Zelenskyy that the latter would also be included in the discussions.
While Kyiv has received no invitation to the initial talks scheduled for Tuesday in Riyadh, Zelenskyy announced on Monday his intention to visit Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, expressing hope for more clarity regarding a meeting with Trump after Kellogg’s upcoming visit to Ukraine later this week.
