Ukraine, Europe Fear Being Sidelined As Trump Pursues Russia Negotiations To End War- wna24
Washington DC: US President Donald Trump’s efforts to end Russia’s war against Ukraine have left European allies and Ukrainian officials worried that they are being sidelined by the new United States administration. As per reports, Trump is sending Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to Saudi Arabia for talks with Russian counterparts. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will be leading the delegation to Saudi Arabia for direct talks with Russian officials in the coming days to seek an end to Moscow’s nearly three-year-old invasion of Ukraine, a US official said on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed concerns that “decades of the old relationship between Europe and America are ending.” However, White House officials denied that Europe has been left out of the conversation. Waltz stated, “Now they may not like some of this sequencing that is going on in these negotiations, but I have to push back on this notion that they aren’t being consulted.”
Heather Conley, a former deputy assistant secretary of state, noted that Trump’s approach to Moscow appears to be “seeking to create a new international approach based on a modern-day concert of great powers.” This approach has raised concerns among European officials, who feel that Trump is prioritising American interests over European concerns.
The Trump administration’s push to secure access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals deposits in exchange for military aid has also caused tension. Zelenskyy has directed his minister to not sign off on the deal, citing concerns that it prioritises American interests over Ukrainian security guarantees.
In response to Trump’s Ukraine strategy, European officials are recalibrating their approach. French President Emmanuel Macron will convene top European countries in Paris on Monday for an emergency “working meeting” to discuss the next steps for Ukraine. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot noted, “A wind of unity is blowing over Europe, as we perhaps have not felt since the COVID period.”
“Those are details, and I’m not dismissive of the details, they’re important. But I think the beginning here is trust-building. It’s getting everybody to understand that this war does not belong continuing, that it should end. That’s what the president has directed us to do,” he said.
Meanwhile, Russian officials and state media took a triumphant tone after Trump jettisoned three years of US policy and announced that he would likely meet soon with Putin to negotiate a peace deal in the war in Ukraine. Trump’s announcement created a major diplomatic upheaval that could herald a watershed moment for Ukraine and Europe.
Russian President Putin has been ostracised by the West since the war began. In 2023, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for the Russian leader.