Ukraine calls for European envoy in peace talks as USA steps back
Ukraine urges Europe to appoint its own envoy for peace talks, reports Bloomberg. "It should be a quickly made decision," stated Ihor Zhovkva, Deputy Chief of Staff for Ukraine's President, to Bloomberg.
Bloomberg reports that Ihor Zhovkva mentioned the European envoy should occupy a leadership position to have a status equivalent to Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, U.S. President Donald Trump, or Russia's President Vladimir Putin.
Informal summit on Ukraine
On Monday an informal meeting of European leaders focused on security and the situation in Ukraine will occur in Paris. The event has been convened by France's President Emmanuel Macron. Prime Minister Donald Tusk has already arrived in the French capital.
The talks in Paris will also include heads of government: Keir Starmer of the United Kingdom, Olaf Scholz of Germany, Giorgia Meloni of Italy, Pedro Sanchez of Spain, Dick Schoof of the Netherlands, and Mette Frederiksen, representing the Baltic and Scandinavian countries.
The meeting will also feature NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and European Council President Antonio Costa.
President Emmanuel Macron of France conversed with U.S. President Donald Trump ahead of the informal meeting of European leaders in Paris concerning Ukraine, reported Reuters.
The meeting is linked to the Munich Security Conference events, where U.S. officials indicated they do not see a role for Europe in the negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.
Will Europe no longer be able to rely on the USA?
Europeans are entering a period where they cannot rely on the USA, assessed the "New York Times" in its Monday article. On Sunday, the Munich Security Conference concluded, which, according to the "NYT," demonstrated that relations between Europe and the USA are experiencing a profound crisis.
Vice President J. D. Vance, representing the USA in Munich, highlighted that Europe cannot count on unwavering support from Washington. Furthermore, the U.S. envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellog, also attending Munich, stressed that the Trump administration does not favour European leaders' direct participation in negotiations with Russia.
Considering discussions that the President of the United States had with Putin, conducted without consulting U.S. allies, there is a concern in European capitals about becoming pawns in Washington's negotiations with Moscow to end the war between Russia and Ukraine.
