The United States is demanding detailed proposals from European countries on how they plan to support Ukraine throughout peace negotiations and after the war with Russia.
Questionnaires sent by the State Department this week aim to gauge Europe’s willingness to supply weaponry, troops and other security arrangements, the Financial Times reported.
It comes as the US prepares to mediate talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to end the nearly three-year war.
Europe is not expected to have a seat at the table, but its interests will be taken into account, special envoy Keith Kellogg said Saturday. A plan could come in days or weeks, he said.
“To my European friends, I would say, get into the debate, not by complaining that you might, yes or no, be at the table, but by coming up with concrete proposals, ideas, ramp up [defense] spending,” Kellogg said during a meeting at the Munich Security Conference, according to reports.
President Trump has long called for European nations to meet their NATO defense spending obligations and step up their share of the burden for the conflict in Ukraine.
European leaders immediately criticized the announcement, which follows Trump’s call with Putin this week, which came without warning to them.
“There’s no way in which we can have discussions or negotiations about Ukraine, Ukraine’s future or European security structure, without Europeans,” Finland’s President Alexander Stubb said at the conference.
“But this means that Europe needs to get its act together,” he added. “Europe needs to talk less and do more.”
After his conversation with Putin, Trump called Zelensky, but did not mention bringing Europe to the table.
“That says a lot,” Zelensky said in a speech Saturday in Munich. “The old days are over — when America supported Europe just because it always had.”
Yet he continued to emphasize the importance of maintaining “the closest possible relationship with America” as well as unified European foreign policy and diplomacy, the Kyiv Independent reported.
Zelensky called for the creation of an “army of Europe,” arguing that the continent can no longer count on protection from the US, and he believes such a show of military strength is the only way to get respect from Washington, according to the outlet.
“I really believe the time has come, the armed forces of Europe must be created,” Zelensky said.
Meanwhile, European countries, led by Britain and France, are quietly planning to send troops to Ukraine to enforce any peace talks.
“If there is peace, then there needs to be some sort of security guarantee for Ukraine, and the UK will play its part in that,” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Thursday.
Ukrainian acceptance into NATO would provide automatic protections but US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday that — as well as the possibility of Ukraine winning back all the territory claimed by Russia’s invasion — is unrealistic.
On Saturday, Zelensky said a proposal is in the works to sell half of his country’s rare-earth natural resources in exchange for US security guarantees after an initial offer was rejected, several outlets reported.
With Post wires
