The Big Story 

European leaders are scrambling to respond to President Trump’s first moves to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, shocked to find themselves on the outside of high-stakes talks. 

© AP

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said “real talks” will involve Europe and Ukraine, as he prepares to meet his Russian counterpart in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. But that follows a slew of mixed messages from Trump’s top officials and a brow-beating from Vice President Vance at the Munich Security Conference last week. 

Leaders of eight major European countries met Monday to coordinate a response, after being caught on their back foot by Trump’s opening gambit on Russia-Ukraine talks. 

Even Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday he “knew nothing about” the peace discussions in the Middle East until they were announced publicly. 

“I think Europe is realizing that they have to come up with a plan, quickly, and on their own to be ready for whatever comes next,” said Sudha David-Wilp, Vice President of External Relations and Senior Fellow with the German Marshall Fund. 

“The mood was turning from bad to worse,” said one European foreign policy expert who attended the Munich conference, granted anonymity to speak candidly.

European officials expected to be taken to task over low defense spending, but not to be left out of talks completely. The uncertainty is already spurring talks on loosening the European Union’s budgetary deficit requirements to allow more spending on defense, the expert said. 

“There will probably be a series of announcements by Europeans in the upcoming days to signal to the Americans that they are to be taken seriously – but also to reassure each other,” they said. 

French President Emanuel Macron called the emergency meeting Monday, inviting the leaders of Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands, Denmark and the European Union.

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer proposed sending British troops to Ukraine as post-war peacekeepers, responding to Trump’s calls for Europe to take more responsibility for its security. 

And Zelensky lectured Europe against being treated “like a pushover” and called for the European Union to nominate an envoy to any peace talks. 

Read the full report at TheHill.com.

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