Europe has been caught up in Trump’s Russian move

The European defence minister, who arrived at NATO headquarters early on Thursday, had one common message. That means there is no negotiation about Ukraine and Europe not at the table.

The question is how much the US hears.

There is a concrete sense that after the 24-hour US declaration, European leaders have been caught up in surprise. They are now afraid that they are being diverted by potential Ukrainian deals and are being deprived of voices about the future of European security.

German Foreign Minister Analena Bearbock spoke about Donald Trump’s appeal with Vladimir Putin. He said that for months, if the US president made it clear that he was aiming to quickly end the war, it would be “very sudden.”

“There is no negotiation for Ukraine without Ukraine,” said British John Healy.

“The same can be said for Europe,” warned Dutch Secretary of Defense Reuben Breckelmans.

“Of course, what is negotiated will affect Europe as well, so I think Europe should also sit at the table.”

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tass said, “All we need is peace. It’s just peace. Ukraine, Europe and the United States should work together.”

The US is clearly involved with NATO allies and Ukraine. Defense Secretary Pete Hegses will spend two days at NATO HQ, while Vice President JD Vance will see Volodymyr Zelensky at the Munich Security Conference.

But the European issue, specifically the EU problem, is that it is difficult to speak to one voice and present a united vision.

Ursula von Der Leyen, the most recognizable figure in the EU, met Hegseth this week, and since then it is hardly visible.

European leaders have plenty of time to prepare for Trump’s peace plan. Now they wonder if the US is listening to them or reading their communicatures.

The UK joined Poland, France, Germany, Italy and Spain on Wednesday, with the security of the European continent being “our common responsibility,” and the transatlantic security needs Ukraine’s fair and lasting peace. I agreed to something.

Baerbock told German radio that while apparently Europe could not replace the US for military support for Ukraine, a powerful Europe is in the interest of the US and “we need it as well as the US.” He said he had to make clear.

Europe may have been able to advocate for more institutions instead of waiting for Trump’s initiative, according to Tine Karjalanen of Finland’s Institute of International Affairs.

“These statements we are seeing now… I’m worried that they are symbols of weakness, not strength,” she added.

So far, Trump’s promotion of peace has no obvious space for Europe, and it’s definitely not enough for Kiev. Up until now there was a general acceptance that we should not speak to Vladimir Putin without Ukraine.

Trump is clearly planning in-person consultations with the Russian leader in Saudi Arabia, but the two men have already prepared the ground with long phone calls.

The follow-up chat of the US President with Volodymyr Zelensky was much shorter.

Zelensky initially spoke of his belief that “the strength of America is sufficient to pressure Russia and Putin on peace.”

However, on a trip to the southern city of Carson on Thursday, he made it clear that as an independent nation, Ukraine would not accept either bilateral negotiations or “an agreement reached without us.”

“Putin hopes that by consulting solely with Trump, we can negotiate more favorable terms,” ​​said Alexandra Koziow of the Polish Institute of International Studies.

“In doing so, he also presents himself as a leader who speaks to another superpower on an equal footing.”

The concern for European leaders is that the United States may already be moving some way to meet the purpose of Russia’s war, and that may go further.

Ukraine’s consistent demands were for the complete withdrawal of Russian troops from its sovereign territory and for the Ukraine’s control over the borders of its province.

Judging from comments from Trump and Hegses, the US believes it has already captured Crimea and the eastern region of Russia’s Donbas in 2014, and Ukraine does not believe it will not join NATO.

Trump says that despite Ukraine being under martial law due to Russian war, Ukraine is no longer a legitimate leader “at some point” and “at some point” new elections are no longer “at some point” He added that Putin made repeated mistakes.

Hegus asserted that Kiev had not been betrayed, but German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said, “I’m sorry… the Trump administration has already made public concessions to Putin before negotiations began.”

“It would be better to talk about the possibility of NATO membership in Ukraine and the possibility of territorial loss only at the negotiation table.

In addition to the obvious alarm that Putin could already have the advantage, there was a clear warning from NATO and the EU on Thursday.

NATO Executive Director Mark Latte said it is important that no transaction should be clarified, as it was previously allowed to happen in Russia.

“It is always important to remember that Russia is an invader here and that it cannot be rewarded with aggression,” warned Anita Hipper, spokeswoman for the EU Commission.

“The debate, peace deals need to be sustainable. Bad deals, just like before, lead to more wars.”

While the European government is already hoping to step into legislation to help rebuild Ukrainian cities, President Trump could also seek European boots on the ground to provide security assurances.

Not only do Europeans have a strong argument that they will be involved in the overall plan, but Poland, the Baltic and Nordic countries will bravely be particularly wary of Russia if it collapses.

Hegus on Thursday stressed that facing Russia’s “war machinery” is a “crucial responsibility for Europe,” and he shored Trump’s demands for 5% of economic production (GDP) spent on defense.

The Russian government has few European governments administering such things.

Poland is aiming to spend 4.7% of GDP this year on Latvia 3.45% in defense, but Germany has just reached 2%, and Spain and Portugal hope to reach 2% in 2029. Masu.

Luxembourg’s Defense Minister Yuriko Buck has accepted the US demand, but said the figures should not be set arbitrarily.

“What we should focus on is that our plans and our investment ambitions are not the other way around,” she said.

Additional report by Kathy Long of Brussels.