 "Can a united Europe stand up for Ukraine as Russia and US prepare for talks?")
This week is crucial for Ukraine’s future. The United States and Russia will begin talks to end the Ukraine war in Saudi Arabia — in the absence of Kyiv, itself, as well as Europe. In such a situation, now all eyes have turned to the countries to see how they will respond to the fast-moving negotiations taking place without them.
And the scramble has begun. French President Emmanuel Macron has convened an emergency meeting of European leaders on Monday (February 17) in Paris to coordinate a response to the Donald Trump administration’s opening of talks with Russia without European participation.
Now, the question that everyone is asking is, can Europe stand up to the US and Russia at the same time?
US, Russia prepare for Ukraine war talks
Following up the US President Donald Trump’s nearly 90-minute talk with Russian President Vladimir Putin last week in which Trump said they “agreed to have our respective teams start negotiations immediately,” the US delegation, headed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, is heading to Saudi Arabia for direct talks with Russian officials to seek an end to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
The US delegation comprises National Security Adviser Michael Waltz and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, sources reportedly told AP.
It is, however, unclear if Ukraine will be part of the talks. Trump on Sunday told reporters that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “will be involved,” but did not elaborate on the role he’d play in the talks.
But Ukrainian officials said that the announcement of the Saudi talks came as a surprise to Kyiv, and as of now there were no plans to send a delegation. “I saw that someone said that there would be a meeting in Saudi Arabia. I do not know what it is,” Ukrainian President Zelenskyy said on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on Saturday. On the prospect of talks without Ukraine at the table, he said: “Well, this is not a serious conversation, it seems to me.”
Zelenskyy further added that he won’t enter negotiations before determining what security guarantees Western nations are willing to offer to ensure any cease-fire is not violated. As of Saturday, he said he had no such assurances from the United States. In an interview with NBC, he reiterated that he would “never” accept a peace negotiation settled between Russia and the United States without Ukraine.
While Ukraine’s presence at the table for the talks remains unclear, it is almost certain that Europe won’t be at the negotiations, as confirmed by General Keith Kellogg, the United States lead Ukraine envoy. When asked if Europeans would be at the table for talks, Kellogg told a global security conference in Munich that “the answer to that last question, just as you framed it, is no”.
Europe scrambles for Paris meet
However, it seems that Trump’s decision to leave Europe out in the cold has spurred them into action. On the behest of French President Emmanuel Macron, European leaders will gather today (February 17) in the French capital to discuss the future of European defence.
Leaders including UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and the heads of EU institutions and Nato will huddle in Paris on Monday. They will be joined by the heads of government of Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and Denmark, to discuss concrete plans aiming to safeguard European defence regardless of future US engagement, officials briefed on the preparations told Financial Times.
UK PM Starmer, speaking about the Paris meet, said, “This is a once-in-a-generation moment for our national security where we engage with the reality of the world today and the threat we face from Russia. It’s clear Europe must take a greater role in Nato as we work with the United States to secure Ukraine’s future and face down the threat we face from Russia. The UK will work to ensure we keep the US and Europe together. We cannot allow any divisions in the alliance to distract from the external enemies we face.”
And at the meet, it appears the focus will be on the question of sending troops to Ukraine if a ceasefire agreement is agreed upon. In fact, UK PM Keir Starmer announced on Sunday (February 16) that he is “ready and willing” to put British troops on the ground in Ukraine to enforce any peace deal. In an exclusive article for The Telegraph, the PM said he had not taken the decision to consider putting British servicemen and women “in harm’s way” lightly.
He wrote: “The UK is ready to play a leading role in accelerating work on security guarantees for Ukraine. This includes further support for Ukraine’s military – where the UK has already committed £3 billion a year until at least 2030.
“But it also means being ready and willing to contribute to security guarantees to Ukraine by putting our troops on the ground if necessary. I do not say that lightly. I feel very deeply the responsibility that comes with potentially putting British servicemen and women in harm’s way.
“But any role in helping to guarantee Ukraine’s security is helping to guarantee the security of our continent and the security of this country. The end of this war, when it comes, cannot merely become a temporary pause before Putin attacks again.”
However, the question is if Europe will follow suit. Germany has been reluctant to back the idea of a European peacekeeping force in Ukraine and more so about making concrete commitments just before a heated general election. Additionally, a survey in Italy revealed that 50 per cent of people asked don’t want to send any more weapons to Ukraine, let alone send sons and daughters, sisters and brothers there.
Significance of a united Europe
But it’s crucial that Europe combines its strength at this crucial juncture of the Russia-Ukraine war. That’s because if Trump does accede to Russia and Putin, it could increase the risk of a wider war in Europe and embolden authoritarian states elsewhere in the world, including China, Iran, and North Korea. It would also weaken the credibility of Nato.
There’s also fears that if Europe doesn’t show a combined front, Trump will walk away from the Ukraine conflict on the grounds that this is a European affair. This could endanger the security of not only Ukraine but also Europe’s eastern frontiers. Moreover, it’s necessary for the world to respect longstanding principles of sovereignty.
But experts say this is easier said than done for Europe, especially because of the rise in many European countries of right-wing nationalist parties, which are opposed to greater unity.
As the Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said, “Europe urgently needs its own plan of action concerning Ukraine and our security, or else other global players will decide about our future. Not necessarily in line with our own interest… This plan must be prepared now. There’s no time to lose.”
With inputs from agencies
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