European leaders are set to hold an emergency summit on Ukraine as the United States and Russia meet in Saudi Arabia over the Russia–Ukraine war.
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.
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.”
By Jacob Burg
