US President Donald Trump’s plan to cut contracts with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin His administration’s new approach to Ukraine has something to do with European leaders.
On Tuesday, Secretary of State Marko Rubio held a meeting with a Russian delegation led by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, aiming to end the war in Ukraine.
The meeting in Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh, comes after Trump spoke to Putin last week to agree to hold peace talks to end the three-year conflict without engaging European allies. Trump also said he might meet Putin in Saudi Arabia.
This sparked concerns between European leaders and Ukrainian President Voldymi Zelenki.
“There is no decision on Ukraine without Ukraine. Europe must be at the table when decisions on Europe are being made,” Zelensky said at a security conference in Munich this weekend.
So, what is the Trump administration’s new approach, and how will Europe respond to the new reality?
What are the agendas for Us-Russia Talks at Riyadh?
Rubio discussed with the Russian delegation led by Lavrov alongside national security adviser Mike Waltz and the special mission of Middle Eastern Steve Witkov.
The Riyadh discussion, aiming to reset the broken relationship between Washington and Moscow, may well be prepared for the possibility of a meeting between Trump and Putin. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that he “is primarily dedicated to restoring the entire complex of Russian-American relations.”
“The world is holding its breath as the meeting between these senior officials in Riyadh has begun,” said Julia Shapovarova of Al Jazeera, adding that a breakthrough is not expected.
“The settlement of the conflict in Ukraine and the improvements in bilateral relations between Russia and the US that have come into conflict with Lockbottom are on the agenda,” she reported from Moscow.
Why are Europe and Ukraine worried about not being invited to the Riyadh Summit?
Zelensky, who traveled to the United Arab Emirates on Monday, reiterated that he would not accept decisions between the US and Russia regarding Ukraine.
European leaders also expressed concern about the exclusion of Europe and Ukraine from the discussion, and expressed that they wanted to be part of the negotiations.
“Therefore, the oralized peace will never find our support,” German Prime Minister Olaf Scholz said over the weekend after Trump’s one-sided overture to Putin on Wednesday.
Trump later told reporters that Zelensky would be involved in the negotiations without further explanation. Ukrainian US envoy Keith Kellogg also tried to reassure Ukraine that no deals were imposed.
Kellogg heads to Kyiv on a 3-day visit.
Having lost nearly 20% of the territory and thousands of lives, Kyiv wants a deal that addresses legitimate security concerns.
“We are seeking strong and lasting peace in Ukraine. To achieve this, Russia must end the attack, which includes strong and reliable security assurances from Ukrainians. It must be accompanied.
The European leader said, “Because neither Ukraine nor Europe are represented. And Timothy Ash, a pre-Fellow of the Russian and Eurasian Program at Chatham House, told Al Jazeera.
“They are afraid of similar outcomes following Trump’s message about Gaza. He simply doesn’t care,” Ash said to Trump’s proposal to “take over” Gaza after ousting the Palestinians away.
How are European leaders responding to changes in Trump’s policies regarding Ukraine-Trans-Atlantic ties?
European leaders have fought for responses after the new Trump administration has disrupted U.S. Ukrainian policy for the past three years and proposed to change the dynamics of the Trans-Atlantic Alliance since 1949.
On Sunday, Ukrainian Trump envoy Kellogg announced that Europe is not at the table for Ukraine peace talks. Last week, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegses said membership in Ukraine’s North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was “unrealistic.”
In line with Trump’s rhetoric that Europe should increase spending on NATO, Hegus pointed out that Europe should strengthen its financial and military responsibility in Ukraine. He also ruled the deployment of Ukrainian US troops after the contract with Russia was signed. US Vice President JD Vance repeated the same points. Brussels needs to “step up in a big way to provide its own defense.”
Stabbed by the tone and message from Trump’s top aides, European leaders gathered in Paris on Monday to devise the next step. Macron has been joined by leaders from Germany, Denmark, Poland, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands, along with NATO and European Union officials.
“I’m ready and happy,” NATO Chief Mark Latte posted on X on Monday.
European countries have in recent years strengthened their contribution to Kiev, providing nearly $140 billion in Ukrainian aid than the US, which has spent about $120 billion since the outbreak of the war in February 2022.
Chatham House’s Ash explained that Europe “recognizes that the US is an unreliable partner.”
The main fear in Europe is the Russian attacks beyond Ukraine as Washington has been a European security guarantor through the NATO Alliance for decades. But Trump has demanded that Europe take more responsibility for its security. Media reports say the US wants to pull a portion of its military out of Europe.
In 2014, NATO members pledged to donate at least 2% of their gross domestic product (GDP) to defense, but more than a decade later, only 23 of their 32 members respected their commitment. Masu. Trump hopes they will increase their defensive spending to 5% of GDP.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen posted on X on Monday, saying, “We need a surge in defense in Europe.”
The transatlantic rift comes as Trump threatens to impose tariffs on Europe and calls economic ties with the European Union “atrocity.”
European leaders say they will retaliate if Trump launches a trade war. Trump has already slapped sudden tariffs in several countries, including China.
Can Europe provide security guarantees to Ukraine?
Last week, European sources reported that Washington had circulated a survey among European leaders asking what the country could contribute in terms of Ukraine’s security assurance. However, Al Jazeera has not seen the survey.
The Trump administration hopes Europe will take frontline seats to support Kiev’s security, as the US has other priorities, such as border security.
Anatol Lieben, director of the Eurasian program at the Quincy National Institute for Responsibility, told Al Jazeera there are important concerns that only Washington and Moscow can negotiate.
“This obviously includes NATO membership because NATO, led by the US, will invite new members.”
However, Lieven said, “When it comes to rebuilding Ukraine and Ukrainian membership in the European Union, this will be a decision by Ukrainians and Europeans.”
At the Paris conference, European leaders disagreed whether they should send their troops to Ukraine after the peace agreement.
“The Paris Conference formula shows that Europe is approaching what it proposes, not to mention what it would be doing, what it would be proposed by, not to mention what it would be.,” said Kiel Giles, senior consulting fellow at Chatham House. Nothing comes out of the statement,” he told Al Jazeera.
British Prime Minister Kiel Starmer has come to mind the idea of sending British troops to Ukraine and Sweden. However, German Prime Minister Scholz sparked controversy to deploy his troops “completely premature.”
Giles added, in terms of the deployment of the military into Ukraine, “I understand that the military heavyweights in Europe are either hesitant like Germany or risk their own safety, like Finland.”
This raises questions about how and where such power is created.
“Scholtz wrote this conversation down as premature, but we need to have it to understand what the European goal is,” Giles told Al Jazeera.