War in Ukraine: US advance on Ukraine alerts European NATO partners

A “humiliation of Europe with an announcement” and a “dirty deal”: Germany and other European NATO partners are deeply worried about possible Ukraine negotiations with Russia after the advance of US President Donald Trump. Among other things, the fact that the plans were not coordinated with Ukraine itself and also not coordinated with Europe causes great concern.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) warned in Berlin that the United States and Russia sincerely decided on Affairs of Ukraine and Europe. In addition, he made it clear that the change of course Washington now requires efforts in this country – in the form of higher expenditure for defense: “We have to do everything we can so that there is never war again in Germany,” he said. These are unusual and certainly also worrying words. “But in this situation, this statement is part of the truth. Because these days it is about war and peace in Europe.”

Peace in Ukraine must keep in the long term and secure the country’s sovereignty, emphasized Scholz. “That is why a dictation peace will never find our support. We will not get involved in any solution that leads to decoupling European and American security.” The Chancellor therefore insists that the United States is still committed to the security of its European NATO partners.

For the first time

US President Donald Trump had spoken on Wednesday with Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin and with the Ukrainian head of state Wolodymyr Selenskyj. It was the first confirmed contact Putin with Trump in his second term. He prospect a personal meeting and named Saudi Arabia as a possible summit country, which the Kremlin confirmed. However, there is still no fixed decision by the heads of state and it is also not foreseeable how quickly this meeting will take place, said spokesman Dmitri Peskow.

Shortly before the phone call became known, the new US defense minister Pete Hegseth for the first time had publicly presented how the Trump government would have an end to the war. He described a NATO accession to Ukraine and a return to the borders before 2014 as unrealistic scenarios. He also ruled out that the United States would provide soldiers for a possible peace force. A day later, Hegseth rowed a little back and said that Trump had the last word during the negotiations.

Either way: The recent statements of the US government have confirmed that the Europeans have confirmed that the United States will change the course under Trump. And President Selenskyj gave discussions about peace without participating his government. “We will not accept any bilateral negotiations on Ukraine without us,” he said. A permanent peace cannot be reached without Kyiv.

Munich security conference is eagerly awaited

The Munich security conference is now eagerly awaited. Her head Christoph Heusgen had explained that he hoped at the meeting on “contours” of a peace plan for Ukraine. On Friday, Trump’s Vice President JD Vance and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio meet with Selenskyj. It will probably also be about the controversial peace efforts of the Trump government.

Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) criticized that the US government had made public concessions before negotiations with Putin about the end of the Russian war of aggression. “From my point of view, it would have been better to only talk about a possible NATO membership of Ukraine or about possible losses of territory from the country at the negotiating table – and not to take it off the table beforehand,” he said.

Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on the sidelines of an international meeting in Paris that you do not have to gave up peace if the Europeans are not involved. Baerbock warned that other regions of world regions also be seen: “Is it actually that someone can enforce their power interests alone with the absolute break in international law?” If this were the result of an agreement, it would not be in the interests of Europe or the USA.

Trump’s advance “humiliating Europe with announcement”

FDP defense politician Marie-Egnes Strack-Zimmermann called Trump’s advance, about whom neither Ukraine nor Europe had been informed, “humiliating Europe with an announcement”. France’s Minister of Defense Sébastien Lecornu warned: If there is no “peace through strength”, this could lead to a dramatic situation and even in the long term to expand the conflict. In addition, a “peace through weakness” can represent a catastrophic message to North Korea, Iran or China. These countries are also believed to be military aggression against other states.

In Brussels, US defense minister Hegseth fought against the criticism of the American plans. “This is not a betrayal,” he said. Hegseth emphasized that no country has supported Ukraine more than the USA. But all over the world and also in the United States, there is interest in an end to the conflict to end killing, as Trump said. For this, both sides would have to recognize things that they didn’t want.

Kallas: Trump’s plans a “dirty deal”

The EU foreign representative Kaja Kallas said on the sidelines of a meeting of NATO defense minister in Brussels: “It is clear that an agreement behind our back will not work. Ukraine and Europe must also be involved in every agreement.” She described Trump’s plans as a “dirty deal” that would not end the war.

“We will see how it is developing now,” said NATO general secretary Mark Rutte. It is crucial that Ukraine is closely integrated into everything that is decided on Ukraine.

One must ensure that Ukraine is in the best possible position, Rutte emphasized. And if a peace agreement is concluded, it must be ensured that this agreement has existed. Putin has to understand “that this is the end. That he can never try again to conquer a piece of Ukraine,” said former Dutch head of government. “That must be part of these negotiations, and there is no doubt that this is also aware of President Trump and his team.” One will now coordinate closely between the allies.