Why are Europe's leaders raising red flags about Trump's Ukraine overtures to Putin?
Officials from across the continent warn that any peace plan without their input is doomed from the start


President Donald Trump has once again turned his eye toward Ukraine — this time not to extract political dirt on an opponent but instead in the hopes of ending the war between Kyiv and Russia that has left Europe in its most precarious geopolitical position since the Cold War. Trump's latest overture to Moscow has stunned many; not only has the U.S. opened negotiations with Russia, but according to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Ukraine will ultimately not regain all of its lost territory. On top of that, the U.S. will not support Ukraine's bid to join NATO as a bulwark against future Russian invasions.
Outside of Ukraine, nowhere has the shock of Trump's unilateral overtures to Russia been felt more acutely than among the leaders of NATO and European Union countries. Those leaders fear that they will be left on the outside looking in as the fate of their continent is seemingly decided without their input and at their expense.
What did the commentators say?
Appearing at a joint press conference at NATO headquarters on Thursday, "Europe's defense ministers had one common message," the BBC said: there can be "no negotiations about Ukraine without Ukraine and Europe at the table too." The question, ultimately, is to "what extent the U.S. is listening" given the "tangible sense that Europe's leaders have been caught by surprise."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
European countries want a "central role in peace talks" between Russia and Ukraine because any settlement to the war that has lasted for three years to their east will have "ramifications for their own security," said Reuters. In particular, European leaders say Washington has "made clear" that it expects their countries to provide "security guarantees for any peace deal," which could include deploying troops from their own militaries.
With peace talks looming and the American position stated, Europeans "need to respond," said former NATO Assistant Secretary General Camille Grand to The New York Times. One path is for the Europeans to say, "'Oh my god, we can't do this without you Americans,' and add to the Trump perception that they are useless and security free-riders." Alternately, they can "counter Trump's restrictive terms" and say that while they're ready to contribute, "these are our conditions to do it."
That second option seems to be at the heart of U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey's response this week. "We heard [Hegseth's] call for European nations to step up," Healey said at NATO headquarters in Brussels. "We are, and we will." At the same time, Healey "underlined" Ukraine's ultimate entry into the defense organization, said The Associated Press.
What next?
Member states may individually grumble and protest their apparent exclusion, but NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has publicly "downplayed concerns" that European nations and Ukraine are being "sidelined" from negotiations, said Politico. For Rutte, the "essential element" of any negotiation is to avoid a repeat of previous negotiations that "failed to stop Russia's decade-long aggression" and ultimately led to the 2022 invasion.
One challenge facing NATO and the European Union is that it "struggles to speak with one voice and present a united vision," the BBC said. At the same time, the EU wonders "whether the U.S. is listening to them, or even reading their communiques."
Despite the nations' various protestations and attempts to work within the framework presented by Hegseth and Trump, it's unclear "how much leverage the Europeans would have over the U.S." regarding Russia and negotiations over the future of Ukraine, said The New York Times. To that end, NATO has begun testing new methods to "rapidly deploy across eastern Europe — without direct U.S. assistance," Military.com said. This week's Steadfast Dart 2025 military exercises across Bulgaria, Romania and Greece are the "largest NATO operation planned this year" and do not include U.S. forces, as European nations "scramble to build greater military self-sufficiency" without American assistance.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Rafi Schwartz has worked as a politics writer at The Week since 2022, where he covers elections, Congress and the White House. He was previously a contributing writer with Mic focusing largely on politics, a senior writer with Splinter News, a staff writer for Fusion's news lab, and the managing editor of Heeb Magazine, a Jewish life and culture publication. Rafi's work has appeared in Rolling Stone, GOOD and The Forward, among others.
-
'Repatriation is not a favor'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
6 head-turning homes for town house living
Feature Featuring a roof deck with city views in South Carolina and a renovated Harlem brownstone in New York City
-
Tesla reports plummeting profits
Speed Read The company may soon face more problems with the expiration of federal electric vehicle tax credits
-
Florida judge and DOJ make Epstein trouble for Trump
Speed Read The Trump administration's request to release grand jury transcripts from the Epstein investigation was denied
-
Trump attacks Obama as Epstein furor mounts
Speed Read The Trump administration accused the Obama administration of 'treasonous' behavior during the 2016 election
-
Deportations: The growing backlash
Feature New poll numbers show declining support for Trump's deportation crackdown
-
Is Stephen Colbert's 'Late Show' cancellation an omen of something worse?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION CBS said its decision to end the talk show was strictly business. But the timing and nature of the announcement has some observers wondering if there's more at play behind the scenes.
-
Citizenship: Trump order blocked again
Feature After the Supreme Court restricted nationwide injunctions, a federal judge turned to a class action suit to block Trump's order to end birthright citizenship
-
Epstein: Why MAGA won't move on
Feature Trump's supporters are turning on him after he denied the existence of Epstein's client list
-
Arms for Ukraine and an ultimatum for Russia
Feature Donald Trump reverses course, sending weapons to Ukraine and threatening Russia with tariffs
-
Trump officials who hold more than one job
IN THE SPOTLIGHT Wearing multiple hats has become the norm inside a White House known for a revolving door of functionaries and officials