Europe skeptical of Trump's new security deal with Russia - Politico
US President Donald Trump (photo: Getty Images)
The Trump administration's new proposal for a Europe-wide security agreement with Russia has raised concerns among EU countries, Politico reports.
Trump's proposal faces skepticism
In response to the US plan, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said that Europe already has its own security architecture.
"We already have a European security architecture in place — NATO and the European Union both have their respective roles," she said. "We must make sure Ukraine is integrated into this architecture. The problem remains that Russia keeps breaking the treaties that underpin it ... Putin does not have a veto over European security."
According to three alliance diplomats, NATO allies were not informed about the US plans in advance. Many remain skeptical of the idea, the media outlet reports.
According to two EU diplomats, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's top adviser, Björn Seibert, briefed EU ambassadors on Friday following a discussion between national security advisers on the issue.
"There's willingness to engage in Kyiv and in the rest of Europe although there's little confidence in the Russians — but the EU is not blocking it," one of the EU diplomats said after the meeting. But "the group around Trump underestimated how important the conflict is for Europe and how a bad outcome for Ukraine is very dangerous for Europe."
"Europe must have a seat at the table in negotiations on peace in Ukraine and the future European security architecture," Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said Friday after a meeting of the eight Nordic and Baltic countries.
US troops in NATO
However, some allies fear that the US may tie its new initiative to an upcoming review of American troops in Europe, expected in December.
"That's the elephant in the room," said a second NATO diplomat. "One thing is talking about European security architecture ... with an 'ordinary' US posture; another thing is to talk about a European security architecture 'as things will be,' and nobody knows how that'll be."
On November 5, Trump spoke of a "big, beautiful agreement" after meeting with Putin's envoy Kirill Dmitriev. The agreement would concern not only Ukraine but all of Europe.
Trump's special envoy Jared Kushner also said that the US aims not only to end the war in Ukraine but also to establish a security architecture to prevent renewed hostilities.
