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Europe will be consulted but will ultimately be excluded by the US during peace talks, Donald Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine has revealed.
Asked if they would be present, Keith Kellogg said he was from “the school of realism, and that is not going to happen”.
Volodymyr Zelensky has called for the creation of an “army of Europe”, suggesting the continent could not rely on Donald Trump’s United States for its defence.
The President of Ukraine told the Munich Security Conference: “As we fight this war and lay the groundwork for peace and security, we must build the armed forces of Europe so that Europe’s future depends only on Europeans, and decisions about Europe are made in Europe.”
He also suggested that the “old days” of America supporting Europe were gone, and that no ceasefire deal would be agreed without Ukraine’s involvement.
He also warned that Russia may be preparing to launch intensified offensive operations into northern Ukraine or attack Nato‘s eastern flank in 2026.
On Friday, a suspected Russian drone strike on Chernobyl has sparked fears of a radioactive leak but the situation is under control, the chief engineer at Europe’s largest nuclear power plant said.
On Wednesday, Ukraine’s military capacity was immediately undermined in the medium term by Pete Hegseth telling his fellow Nato defence ministers that “Europe must provide the overwhelming share of future lethal and non-lethal aid to Ukraine”.
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Holly Evans15 February 2025 20:00
Increasingly alarmed that U.S. security priorities lie elsewhere, a group of European countries has been quietly working on a plan to send troops into Ukraine to help enforce any future peace settlement with Russia.
Britain and France are at the forefront of the effort, though details remain scarce. The countries involved in the discussions are reluctant to tip their hand and give Russian President Vladimir Putin an edge should he agree to negotiate an end to the war he launched three years ago.
What is clear is that Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy needs a guarantee that his country’s security will be assured until peace takes hold. The best protection would be the NATO membership that Ukraine has long been promised, but the U.S. has taken that option off the table.
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Holly Evans15 February 2025 19:00
Finnish President Alexander Stubb said on Saturday the United States had sent a questionnaire to European countries asking them what they could do to provide security guarantees for Ukraine.
“The Americans have provided Europeans with the questionnaire on what would be possible,” he told Reuters at the Munich Security Conference.
“This will force Europeans to think, then it’s up to the Europeans to decide whether they actually answer the questionnaire, or whether they answer it together.”
Holly Evans15 February 2025 17:08
France is discussing with its allies the possibility of holding an informal meeting among European leaders on Ukraine, although nothing has been decided at this stage, a French presidency official said on Saturday.
Speaking on a panel at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said that French President Emmanuel Macron had called for a summit of European leaders in Paris.
“President Trump has a method of operating, which the Russians call reconnaissance through battle. You push and you see what happens, and then you change your position, legitimate tactics. And we need to respond,” Sikorski said.
“And I’m very glad that President Macron has called our leaders to Paris tomorrow, and I expect them to relate to this in a very serious fashion.”
The French presidency official said that if there were to be any such summit, it would not be on Sunday.
“I am glad that the (Polish) Prime Minister @donaldtusk will go on Monday at the invitation of the President @EmmanuelMacron to a meeting of European leaders. We need to show our strength and unity,” Sikorski later said on Twitter.
It was not clear whether the invite would only be sent to European Union member states or more broadly and whether Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky would be invited.
Holly Evans15 February 2025 16:53
“I told them that I want the equivalent of like $500 billion worth of rare earths, and they’ve essentially agreed to do that.”
China, with whom Trump has threatened a trade war, is the world’s largest producer of rare earths and many other critical minerals. Both the U.S and Europe have sought to reduce their dependence on Beijing.
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Holly Evans15 February 2025 16:28
“I told them that I want the equivalent of like $500 billion worth of rare earths, and they’ve essentially agreed to do that.”
China, with whom Trump has threatened a trade war, is the world’s largest producer of rare earths and many other critical minerals. Both the U.S and Europe have sought to reduce their dependence on Beijing.
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Holly Evans15 February 2025 16:27
Europe will be excluded from the planned peace talks between Russia, the US and Ukraine, Donald Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine has revealed.
Asked if Europe would be present at the planned talks, Keith Kellogg said he was from “the school of realism, and that is not going to happen”.
“It may be like chalk on the blackboard, it may grate a little bit, but I am telling you something that is really quite honest,” he said on Saturday.
“And to my European friends, I would say: get into the debate, not by complaining that you might, yes or no, be at the table, but by coming up with concrete proposals, ideas, ramp up [defence] spending.”
Holly Evans15 February 2025 16:08
David Lammy said the Ukraine crisis was an “existential question” for Europe and warned the financial cost of failure would dwarf that of continued support for Kyiv.
The Foreign Secretary said: “There is a question for Europe. If we look at GDP combined, it’s about 0.01% that we are spending on that fight for Ukraine. We know this is the front line, not just for Ukraine, but for Europe.
“We know too that even when we get to a negotiated peace, Putin will not go away. So this is an existential question for Europe.
“We meet that question alongside the United States. At an appropriate time, we will get into a debate about security guarantees.
“And there will be an arrangement, of course, but quite rightly, we say that there is an irreversible pathway for Ukraine towards Nato – that is the cheapest and it is the best mechanism secure to secure peace, not just in Europe, but across the Euro-Atlantic.”
Holly Evans15 February 2025 15:51
David Lammy suggested Ukraine should seek closer business and trade ties with Donald Trump’s US to guarantee its future security.
The Foreign Secretary told the Munich Security Conference: “I will say to Trump what I said to the Ukrainians. The UK has just signed a 100 year partnership with Ukraine and I would encourage Donald Trump and the Ukrainians to look very carefully at a deepening partnership over the next generations.
“Why? Because the best deal and the best security guarantee is binding US industry, business, defence capability into their future.
“That is what will make Putin sit up and pay attention, and that is what’s attractive to a US president who knows how to get a good deal.”
The Trump administration is discussing a deal with Kyiv over access to rare earth minerals in exchange for continued military support.
David Lammy has called on the US to deepen ties with Ukraine (Munich Security Conference/PA Wire)
Holly Evans15 February 2025 15:35