Europe races to respond after US changes policy on Ukraine

Recent developments in US foreign policy under President Donald Trump have created a wave of strong reactions from European countries, forcing them to seek a unified solution to deal with the increasingly complicated situation in Ukraine.

Just before the emergency meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron had a phone call with President Trump to discuss the situation.

The emergency meeting in Paris comes as European policymakers are still reeling from shocking remarks by US Vice President JD Vance at the Munich Security Forum last weekend.

The biggest concern among European leaders is that the Trump administration might seek to negotiate peace with Russia without the participation of Ukraine, let alone the European Union.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stressed the urgency of the situation, stating on social network X: "European security is at a turning point. Yes, it is about Ukraine - but it is also about us." She called on member states to "significantly increase" defense spending to cope with the new situation.

Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, aware of the importance of London demonstrating its commitment to European security after Brexit, has declared his readiness to “deploy ground forces in Ukraine if necessary”, describing it as “a once-in-a-lifetime moment for the common security of the continent”.

However, the proposal was met with strong opposition from German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who said that discussing peacekeeping forces was "completely premature" and "inappropriate" while the fighting was still ongoing. Chancellor Scholz even expressed his "discomfort" at the debate, which he considered "untimely and off-topic".

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares also shared Germany's view, saying that "no one is currently planning to send troops to Ukraine, especially since peace is still far away." So far, only a handful of European countries - Britain, France and Sweden - have signaled their willingness to deploy troops to Ukraine.

For his part, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk expressed deep concern about Europe's defense capabilities compared to Russia. He called on allies to "immediately" strengthen their defense capabilities, stressing: "We will not be able to effectively help Ukraine if we do not immediately take practical steps regarding our own defense capabilities."

Another notable development was a meeting between top US and Russian diplomats in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The US delegation, led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, along with National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, met with the Russian delegation, including Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Ukraine and the European side were not invited to the event.

The French newspaper Le Monde called the rift between Europe and the US "historic", and commented: "Europe's ambiguity ended abruptly in Munich. From now on, the continent's security depends mainly on Europe itself and on its ability to maintain unity".

At the end of the meeting in Paris, German Chancellor Scholz once again stressed the importance of transatlantic solidarity: "Security and responsibility must not be divided between Europe and the United States. NATO is based on the fact that we always act together and share risks, thereby ensuring our security. This must not be questioned."