French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk ahead of the informal summit of European leaders to discuss the situation in Ukraine and European security at The Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris. Source: AAP / Eliot Blondet

Since last week, top US officials from the Trump administration, on their first visit to Europe, left the impression that Washington was ready to embrace the Kremlin while it cold-shouldered many of its age-old European allies.

“I don’t think it’s reasonable and feasible to have everybody sitting at the table. We know how that can turn out and that has been our point, is keeping it clean and fast as we can,” he said.

“We welcome the fact that talks are taking place, that peace is developing everywhere. But for us it must and is clear: this does not mean that peace can be dictated and that Ukraine must accept what is presented to it,” he insisted after he left the Elysee Palace.

Some analysts suggest this positioning could allow him to act as a bridge between Trump and Europe, potentially serving as a key messenger to the White House on his visit to Washington DC next week.

“This is highly inappropriate, to put it bluntly and honestly: we don’t even know what the outcome will be,” he added.

Some of the EU nations balked at the thought of the restrictive Elysee meeting with only a few chosen leaders while others were left in the cold.