The United States’ initiative to conclude the conflict in Ukraine has sparked some disagreement with significant European partners, as nations like France, Germany, and Finland assert their role in ongoing discussions in Geneva.

An influential European diplomat communicated to Fox News Digital that Europe insists on being fully engaged in any U.S.-led agreement. The diplomat emphasized, “There will be no talks about Ukraine without Ukraine’s participation. Similarly, Europe’s security cannot be negotiated without the involvement of Europeans.”

These European apprehensions emerged shortly after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Sunday that significant progress had been made with Ukraine toward a “revised and improved peace framework.” Describing the day as “the most productive yet,” he noted ongoing issues and mentioned that EU and NATO-related concerns would be addressed on a “separate track.” Talks among representatives from the U.S., Ukraine, and major European countries are anticipated to continue throughout the week.

Andriy Yermak, head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefed the media following private discussions at the U.S. Mission in Geneva, Switzerland, on November 23, 2025. (Emma Farge/Reuters)

The European diplomat described the U.S. proposal as “a foundation that needs further refinement,” stressing that “the foremost condition must be the enforcement of a ceasefire along the contact line.” To synchronize Europe’s stance, France and the United Kingdom plan to hold a Coalition of Volunteers meeting on Tuesday.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned at the Group of 20 summit in South Africa over the weekend that Europe cannot be cut out of any settlement. “Wars cannot be ended by major powers over the heads of the countries affected,” he said, adding, “We are still quite a way from a good outcome for everyone.”

President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and others before talks on ending Russia’s war in Ukraine, at the U.S. Mission in Geneva, Switzerland, Nov. 23, 2025. (Reuters/Emma Farge)

French President Emmanuel Macron echoed those concerns on the sidelines of the summit, saying the U.S. plan “has not been negotiated with the Europeans,” even though it contains “many provisions that concern Europeans directly.” He pointed to proposed limits on Ukraine’s military capacity, calling them “limitations on the size of the Ukrainian army — in other words, on its own sovereignty.”

“It is positive in the sense that it proposes a path to peace and acknowledges important elements regarding sovereignty, security guarantees, and other issues. But it is only a basis for work that needs to resume, just as we did last summer, because this plan has not been negotiated with the Europeans,” Macron told reporters.

Members of the U.S. and Ukraine delegations meet on ending Russia’s war in Ukraine in Geneva, Switzerland, Nov. 23, 2025. (Reuters/Emma Farge )

Finland’s President Alexander Stubb wrote on X on Monday that NATO will assert control over issues in their remit: “It is clear that Europe and NATO decide on matters concerning them.”

Amid the friction, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte told “Fox & Friends” on Monday the U.S. effort still contained constructive elements, saying “some elements had to be changed, but there was also good stuff in the plan.” In the interview, Rutte told Brian Kilmeade that President Trump’s team is “working extremely hard to get this war solved,” with the goal of “a durable and lasting peace in Ukraine, a sovereign nation.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is greeted by President Donald Trump at the White House on Aug. 18, 2025. (Andrew Caballero-Reynoldes/AFP via Getty Images)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reinforced Kyiv’s red lines in an address to Sweden’s parliament on Monday, “The aggressor must pay fully for the war he started,” rejecting territorial concessions. “Putin wants legal recognition for what he has stolen… That is the main problem,” Zelenskyy said.

Moscow dismissed emerging European ideas as “not constructive,” according to Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov, according to Reuters.