Europe will not be included in peace talks for Ukraine, President Donald Trump’s Ukraine envoy said on Feb. 15 after sending a questionnaire to European capitals asking what they could offer in security guarantees for Kyiv.
As The Epoch Times’ Jacob Burg reports, on Sunday, France said it will host a summit of European leaders on Monday to discuss the Russia–Ukraine war and European security after retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, didn’t include Europe in negotiations over Ukraine’s future following years of war with Russia.
France President Emmanuel Macron “will convene the main European countries to discuss European security,” Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told France Inter radio. Barrot described the meeting as a working session and emphasized it should not be “overdramatized.”
The office of the French presidency has not yet announced the meeting.
Macron has invited at least Britain, Germany, Poland, Italy, and Denmark, representing the Baltic and Scandinavian countries, the European Union leadership, and the NATO secretary general, according to six European diplomats. They said the purpose of the meeting is to discuss what immediate help can be given to Ukraine and the role Europe can play in providing both security guarantees to Kyiv and Europe at large.
Trump called Russian President Vladimir Putin last week before consulting European or Ukrainian leaders, saying peace talks had begun.
The Trump administration is pushing European allies in NATO to take a primary role in security guarantees for the region as the United States prioritizes border security and counters Chinese political and military influence.
At a global security conference in Munich, Kellogg said the United States would act as an intermediary in talks between Ukraine and Russia.
“I’m [from] a school of realism,” Kellogg said, regarding Europe having a seat at the table during negotiations.
“I think that’s not going to happen.”
In trying to reassure Europeans, Kellogg said it doesn’t mean “their interests are not considered, used, or developed.”
Some European leaders pushed back on being sidelined for talks.
“There’s no way in which we can have discussions or negotiations about Ukraine, Ukraine’s future or European security structure, without Europeans,” Finland’s President Alexander Stubb told reporters in Munich.
“But this means that Europe needs to get its act together. Europe needs to talk less and do more.”
The questionnaire Kellogg sent to Europeans “will force Europeans to think,” Stubb said.
Kaja Kallas, the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, was more explicit stating that “if somebody agrees something and I mean, everybody else says ‘okay fine!’ you have agreed, but we will not follow this!”
She added that EU’s position is “our importance” trumps any peace!
🇪🇺🇺🇸🇺🇦🚨‼️ THE EU OPENLY SAYS THEY WILL SABOTAGE PEACE IN UKRAINE IF THEY’RE NOT AT THE TABLE.
Kallas: “if somebody agrees something and I mean, everybody else says ‘okay fine!’ you have agreed,but we will not follow this!”
-> EU’s position is “our importance” trumps any peace! pic.twitter.com/CMsYIpi6Q6
— Lord Bebo (@MyLordBebo) February 16, 2025
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte urged Europeans to get involved.
“And to my European friends, I would say, get into the debate, not by complaining that you might, yes or no, be at the table, but by coming up with concrete proposals, ideas, ramp up [defense] spending,” he said.
Kellogg said that territorial concessions from Russia and targeting its oil revenues could be included in the talks over ending the war between it and Ukraine.
“Russia is really a petro-state,” he said, adding that the West needs to do more in adequately enforcing sanctions against Russia.
U.S. and Russian officials will meet in Saudi Arabia in the coming days for continued peace talks, according to Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas). After meeting with Vice President JD Vance in Germany on Feb. 14, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his nation was not invited to the talks in Saudi Arabia and that Kyiv would consult with strategic partners before engaging with Russia.
“This is the war in Ukraine against us, and it is our human losses,” President Zelensky told Meet The Press this morning.
“We are thankful for all the support, unity in the USA around Ukraine support, bipartisan unity, bipartisan support,” adding that “we are thankful for all of this, but there is no leader in the world who can really make a deal with Putin without us, about us.”
🚨🇺🇦 ZELENSKY: I WOULD NEVER ACCEPT ANY DECISIONS BETWEEN THE U.S. AND RUSSIA ABOUT UKRAINE
“This is the war in Ukraine against us, and it is our human losses.
We are thankful for all the support, unity in the USA around Ukraine support, bipartisan unity, bipartisan support.… pic.twitter.com/a8F2MaLl3J
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) February 16, 2025
“I will never accept any decisions between the United States and Russia about Ukraine. Never,” he exclaimed.
Trump told Zelensky that he believes Putin is serious about peace talks. So Zelensky’s strategy to undermine those talks is tell Trump that Putin is not serious and is really just “afraid” of Trump.
You can tell by this desperate reverse psychology, and his body language, that… https://t.co/jpCPlIzB0U
— Aaron Maté (@aaronjmate) February 16, 2025
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and White House Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Saudi Arabia, McCaul said.
The talks are meant to arrange a meeting between Trump, Putin, and Zelensky to “finally bring peace and end this conflict,” he said.
Tyler Durden
Sun, 02/16/2025 – 12:15
