Sidelined by US, European Countries Gather in France to Discuss Ukraine

PARIS, MONDAY - European countries will gather in Paris, France, for a summit to discuss the Ukraine-Russia war and European security, Monday (2/17/2025) local time. This meeting follows the United States' unilateral approach to the war.

US President Donald Trump surprised Ukraine and European countries by calling Russian President Vladimir Putin about peace talks. At the Munich Security Conference last week, US Vice President JD Vance reiterated Trump's demand that Europe take care of its own defense so Washington can focus on other regions, especially the Indo-Pacific.

"French President Emmanuel Macron will bring together the main European countries tomorrow to discuss European security," French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told France Inter radio on Sunday (2/16/2025), without naming the countries that would participate.

Barrot continued, this summit will be a working session that should not be “over-dramatized”.

According to the French presidency, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will attend the meeting. Other attendees include the leaders of Italy, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands and Denmark.

“President Trump has a method of operation, which the Russians call reconnaissance through combat. You press and see what happens, then you change your position, a legitimate tactic. And we need to respond,” Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said.

The summit aims to examine what direct assistance can be provided to Ukraine. Europe will also discuss what role it can play in ensuring Kyiv's security and how to strengthen Europe's collective security.

Hours before the Paris meeting, Prime Minister Starmer said he was prepared to deploy troops to Ukraine if necessary. “Any role in helping to secure Ukraine is helping to secure our continent and the security of this country,” Starmer wrote in the Daily Telegraph on Sunday night.

On Saturday (2/15/2025), Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for the creation of a European army. According to him, Europe can no longer be sure of protection from the US.

However, the Paris meeting is unlikely to produce concrete results. Europe has held dozens of similar summits that have shown it to be indecisive, sometimes disjointed and politically weak. Europe has also struggled to come up with a coherent plan to end the Ukraine-Russia war, even though it has been going on for three years.

There is no word yet on whether Zelenskyy or Ukrainian representatives will be invited to Paris. On the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, he confirmed he would visit Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey.

At the conference, Zelenskyy also said there should be no decisions “about Ukraine without Ukrainians” or “about Europe without Europeans.”

The Paris summit was also triggered by Russia's actions in pushing for talks with the US on the Ukraine-Russia War and European security. Europe is worried that Putin could again demand restrictions on NATO troops in Eastern Europe and US involvement in Europe.

A US official said Sunday that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is leading a delegation to Saudi Arabia to speak directly with Russian officials in the coming days. Other officials on the trip include National Security Adviser Michael Waltz and Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff.

However, the US government still sees the meeting as an early stage of negotiations. It is not certain who will ultimately be involved in the negotiations.

“Waltz and I will be meeting at the direction of the president and hope to make some very good progress on Russia-Ukraine,” Witkoff told Fox News, without elaborating on who they would meet with or what would be discussed.

In the interview, Witkoff did not directly address a question about whether Ukraine would have to give up large swaths of its territory as part of a negotiated settlement. Trump has previously suggested a peace deal could involve Ukraine giving up Crimea, which Russia seized in 2014.

“It’s the details, and I don’t gloss over the details, they’re important. But I think the beginning here is building trust. It’s getting everybody to understand that this war cannot continue, and it must end. That’s what the president told us to do,” Witkoff said.

Earlier, Trump’s envoy to Ukraine and Russia Keith Kellogg said Europe would not be directly involved in the talks, though it would still provide “input.” “I’m a realist, I don’t think that’s going to happen,” he said.

On Sunday, France contacted Saudi Arabia about Ukraine. President Macron called Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss Saudi Arabia's role in any peace deal for Ukraine and how Europe should play a key role in this.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb said the US-Russia talks should not change European security. “There is no way we should open the door to Russian fantasies about a new, indivisible security order where Russia can pursue its interests,” he said.

It is unclear whether any Ukrainian representatives are taking part. Currently, according to The Kyiv Independent, Ukraine’s Economy Minister and First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko is also in Saudi Arabia to discuss bilateral cooperation and investment ahead of Zelenskyy’s arrival.

In a Facebook post on Sunday, Svyrydenko did not mention the link between Zelenskyy's travel plans and the US-Russia talks. He only wrote that strengthening economic cooperation has an impact on strengthening state, regional and global security.

"We will hold dozens of meetings in the coming days to prepare for Volodymyr Zelenskyy's visit to Saudi Arabia. In particular, we are preparing to sign important economic agreements with countries in the region," Svyrydenko wrote, without specifying when Zelenskyy would arrive.

Zelensky arrived in the United Arab Emirates on Sunday. He had previously said there were no plans to meet with Russian or US delegations in those countries.

“I will not meet with the Russians, I will not meet with the Americans there,” said Zelenskyy, who has repeatedly said he would not accept any peace negotiations without Ukraine’s involvement.

Zelenskyy’s top adviser, Andriy Yermak, said there was no chance of Ukrainian and Russian representatives meeting in person anytime soon. He said via Telegram that Ukraine had no plans to do so “until we develop a plan” to end the war and achieve a “just peace.”

Mykhailo Podolyak, another Zelenskyy adviser, has also denied the allegations, saying Ukraine would only participate in the U.S.-Russian meeting in Saudi Arabia. “There is nothing to discuss at the negotiating table. Russia is not ready for negotiations,” he told Ukrainian television. (AP/AFP/Reuters)