Rapid Ukraine Diplomacy Requires Greater European Efforts, Official Says

The rapid acceleration of diplomatic efforts on Ukraine necessitates greater and more coordinated action from Europe, a French presidency official said ahead of informal talks in Paris on Monday involving several key European leaders.

Last week, US President Donald Trump surprised European allies in NATO and Ukraine by revealing that he had spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin without prior consultation and intended to initiate a peace process.

Tensions heightened further on Saturday when Trump’s Ukraine envoy, Keith Kellogg, stated that Europe would not be given a seat at the negotiating table for the peace talks. This came despite Washington previously sending a questionnaire to European capitals, inquiring about their potential contributions to security guarantees for Kyiv.

The six-point questionnaire, seen by Reuters on Sunday, also asked NATO’s European allies what support they would require from Washington to participate in Ukraine’s security arrangements.

“In light of the acceleration of developments on the Ukrainian issue, and given the statements from American leaders, there is a need for Europeans to do more, do better, and act in a more coherent manner for our collective security,” the French official told reporters.

The 27-member EU has repeatedly struggled to present a united and decisive approach to ending the war in Ukraine and responding to Russia’s invasion, now in its third year. A series of previous summits have exposed divisions and a lack of a cohesive strategy.

Monday’s meeting was set to include leaders from Germany, Italy, Britain, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands, and Denmark—representing the Baltic and Scandinavian nations—alongside EU leadership and NATO Secretary General.

“These initiatives offer an opportunity to accelerate an end to the war in Ukraine, but it remains essential to agree on the conditions under which that can happen,” the official said.

Discussions were expected to focus on the security guarantees that Europe and the US could provide, whether jointly or independently.

Some EU officials expressed dissatisfaction that the meeting was limited to selected leaders rather than being a full EU summit. However, the French presidency official defended the gathering, arguing that it would help facilitate future discussions in Brussels and within NATO.

“Everybody should be able to take part in the conversation,” the official said.

Faridah Abdulkadiri

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