Europe reels after Trump announces US-Russia talks on Ukraine

Reconstruction of Ukraine is likely to be largely funded by Europe,

he explained from the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference

The arguments that have been made that somehow coming to the table right now is making concessions to Vladimir Putin outright that the President of the United States shouldn’t otherwise make — I just reject that at its face."

But when pressed on whether the US would also spell out concessions Russia might have to make, he wouldn’t be drawn, instead saying

The West started to fall apart last night,

Lete concluded, suggesting that translantic cooperation was giving way to US preferences

I challenge anyone else to think of a world leader at this moment who, with credibility and strength, could bring those two leaders to the table and forge a durable peace that ultimately serves the interests of Ukraine,

he added

[Europeans] provide the bulk of financial assistance to Ukraine,

Grand said, pointing to Ukraine's path toward joining the European Union

Europeans need to make clear that they stand ready to play the role proposed, ... but they expect in return to have a seat at the table and to shape a settlement that would allow to build a solid and lasting peace."

he said

Europe believes all of a sudden that working on defence is a good thing… Between that realisation and the reality of building a European defense industry it’s going to take many years and even many decades,

he told the Financial Times

To many Americans it has seemed that a prosperous Western Europe was not making a reasonably proportionate contribution to the common defense effort,

Jackson said

One for all, all for one”

Her Estonian counterpart, Hanno Pevkur, cited the poet Alexandre Dumas

I don’t think any UN troops or anything like that have ever really helped anyone,

he told the Guardian this week

Whether we decide to fall under the illusion that Mr. Trump and Mr. Putin are going to find a solution for all of us, and that would be a deadly trap, or we will, as Europe, embrace our own economic, financial and military capacity.”

She said

There will be no just and lasting peace in Ukraine without the participation of the Europeans,

warned French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot after the news of the telephone call between Trump and Putin

It is clear that any deal behind our backs will not work. You need the Europeans, you need the Ukrainians,

Kallas told journalists on the sidelines of the NATO defense ministers’ meeting on Thursday

In any negotiation, Europe must have a central role,

Kallas wrote in a post regarding the statement

We cannot accept it, as an independent country, any agreements (made) without us,

Mr Zelensky said as he visited a nuclear power station in western Ukraine

President Putin wants to have peace now, and that's good. And he didn't want to have peace with Biden,

Mr Trump told reporters

Why are we giving them (Russia) everything that they want even before the negotiations have been started?"

said Kallas

Any agreement without us will fail, because you need Europe and Ukraine to also implement the agreement,

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said

There is a political will, which was emphasised during yesterday's conversation, to conduct a dialogue in search of a settlement,

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said

As for Europe's participation, there is no understanding yet of the format of a possible negotiation process, so it is premature to talk about it."

Asked about European demands to be represented in Ukraine peace talks, Peskov said