Europe will make investments extra in safety and lead on offering ensures to Kyiv, however cooperation with Washington to safe peace stays essential, European leaders mentioned after an emergency assembly held forward of U.S.-Russia talks on Ukraine on Tuesday, February 18, 2025.
French President Emmanuel Macron pulled collectively an pressing assembly after U.S. President Donald Trump organized bilateral talks between envoys from Washington and Moscow in Saudi Arabia and excluded European allies and Ukraine from them.
“Europe is prepared and prepared to step up,” NATO boss Mark Rutte mentioned on X after the assembly. “To steer in offering safety ensures for Ukraine. Prepared and prepared to take a position much more in our safety.”
“Working along with Washington on safeguarding any settlement to finish the conflict in Ukraine stays key,” officers mentioned.
“Everybody feels the good sense of urgency,” Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof mentioned on X. “At this significant time for the safety of Europe we should proceed to face behind Ukraine.”
“Europe must make a contribution in direction of safeguarding any settlement, and cooperation with the Individuals is important,” he mentioned.
It stays unclear, nonetheless, how Europe will interact Washington after Mr. Trump surprised Ukraine and European allies calling final week Russian President Vladimir Putin, lengthy ostracised by the West, with out consulting them.
“We agree with President Trump on a “peace by power” strategy,” a European official mentioned after the Paris assembly, talking on situation of anonymity.
The U.S. determination has sparked a realisation amongst European nations that they must do extra to make sure Ukraine’s safety.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who earlier than the assembly mentioned he was prepared to ship peacekeeping troops to Ukraine, mentioned on Monday (February 17, 2025) there should be a U.S. safety dedication for European international locations to place boots on the bottom.
Keith Kellogg, Mr. Trump’s Ukraine envoy, mentioned he would go to Ukraine from Wednesday (February 19, 2025) and was requested if the U.S. would supply a safety assure for any European peacekeepers.
“I’ve been with President Trump, and the coverage has at all times been: You are taking no choices off the desk,” he mentioned.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has mentioned his nation would by no means settle for any peace offers reached behind its again or with out Kyiv’s involvement.
U.S. AND RUSSIA TO MEET IN SAUDI ARABIA
Tuesday (February 18, 2025)‘s scheduled talks between senior U.S. and Russian officers in Saudi Arabia, the highest-level in-person discussions between the 2 nations in years, are supposed to precede a gathering between Mr. Trump and Mr. Putin.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met on Monday (February 17, 2025) with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Riyadh in addition to U.S. nationwide safety adviser Mike Waltz and Center East envoy Steve Witkoff, additionally a part of the U.S. negotiating workforce.
On the Russian aspect, Overseas Minister Sergei Lavrov and Kremlin overseas coverage advisor Yuri Ushakov have been due to participate, the Kremlin mentioned.
However there have been indicators of variations of strategy.
Mr. Rubio’s spokesperson Tammy Bruce mentioned the dialog would decide if the Russians have been critical about peace talks, “about maybe if that first step is even doable”.
The Kremlin mentioned the talks would give attention to “restoring the complete advanced of Russian-American relations” and Russia has dominated out conceding territory.
On arrival in Riyadh, Mr. Ushakov mentioned talks on Ukraine can be strictly bilateral, Russia’s RIA state information company reported.
“We got here to barter with American colleagues,” RIA cited Mr. Ushakov as saying. “There may be no trilateral talks in Riyadh.”
Russia’s sovereign wealth fund chief Kirill Dmitriev will meet a U.S. delegation in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday (February 18, 2025) to give attention to strengthening ties and elevated financial cooperation, a supply in Riyadh mentioned.
CNN quoted Mr. Dmitriev denying that Russia primarily sought to alleviate sanctions and mentioned the U.S. and Russian economies might each profit from working collectively.
“I believe it’s crucial to construct bridges. I believe U.S.-Russia relations are crucial for the world,” he mentioned.
“I believe the promise is: let’s have dialogue, let’s work out the very best answer for our international locations, for different international locations, for the worldwide neighborhood.”
Printed – February 18, 2025 11:22 am IST
