EU suspects betrayal in Trump-Putin talks
Photo: EU suspects treason in Trump-Putin talks (Getty Images)
European leaders said they should not be excluded from participation after US President Donald Trump said he had agreed to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine with Vladimir Putin. EU suspects betrayal, according to Bloomberg.
Trump has abandoned the three-year US policy that nothing should be decided on Ukraine without Kyiv at the negotiating table. But he also left aside NATO allies in Europe interested in resolving the conflict raging on their borders, who feared that a more conciliatory American stance would be tantamount to caving into Putin.
According to one official, Europe received no warning of Trump's phone call with Putin.
In comments at the Munich Security Conference, others called it a betrayal, saying they feared the US was giving in to key Putin demands without getting anything in return.
“In any negotiation, Europe must have a central role,” said EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. Any agreement concluded without Europe “will not be long-lasting,” said Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth denies that Trump's call amounted to a betrayal of Europe, calling him “best negotiator on the planet” and saying the US “recognized the incredible commitments” made by its allies. A negotiated peace, he said, “will require both sides recognizing things they don’t want to.”
“It is crucial that when a deal is done it does not unravel,” said NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
The European leaders emphasized the continued need for Europe to invest more in its defense, a longstanding demand of Trump's that has become relevant again given his skepticism of the NATO alliance. Hughes also repeated calls for the alliance to increase spending to 5% of gross domestic product.
Europe also tried to demonstrate to the Trump administration the full extent of its financial support for Ukraine: Rutte said that in 2024, more than half of the costs were paid by allies, excluding the United States.
On February 12, Trump said he had spoken directly with Putin. According to him, he had a long and very productive phone conversation and they agreed to visit each other's countries and begin immediate negotiations to end the war.
