European leaders gathered on Monday for an emergency summit to discuss plans by U.S. President Donald Trump to end the war in Ukraine.
There are fears that they might be frozen out of the negotiations.
The goal is to agree on a common strategy for dealing with Trump, including what offers can be made to him and what Europe’s red lines are when it comes to Moscow’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
Leaders from Germany, Britain, Italy, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands and Denmark were expected to attend the meeting in Paris, alongside European Council President António Costa.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary- General, Mark Rutte, the Élysée Palace said.
French President Emmanuel Macron set up the meeting to initiate consultations on the situation in Ukraine and the challenges for security in Europe, the statement said.
It added that the process could continue in other formats.
The meeting was organised at short notice during the Munich Security Conference over the weekend.
Diplomats have said the question of what Europe can contribute to a possible peace deal will also be discussed in Paris, after the U.S. called on Europeans to contribute more.
EU countries and Ukraine were alarmed by the prospect of the U.S. and Russia seeking a peace settlement bilaterally; especially after Trump spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin last week.
This was in order to accelerate the negotiation process with Moscow.
The Trump administration has outlined a plan that would exclude Ukraine from NATO, grant Russia territorial concessions, and close the door on U.S. participation in future peacekeeping operations.
He did this in order to accelerate the negotiation process with Moscow; the terms are being viewed in Europe’s corridors of power as Washington turning its back on allies.
The turning of back on allies is in favour of making a deal with Putin.
“I think he would like to stop fighting,’’ Trump said of Putin on Sunday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, speaking to NBC News at the weekend, said.
“I will never accept any decisions between the United States and Russia about Ukraine, never, he went on to warn Trump don’t trust Putin.’’
Late on Sunday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said both Ukraine and Europe should be involved in negotiations with Moscow.
The Paris meeting came the same week that Rubio was due to meet Russian representatives together with U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.
Also to meet with the National Security Advisor Mike Waltz in Saudi Arabia.
Neither Ukrainian nor European representatives would be at the table during the talks in Saudi Arabia. (dpa/NAN)
