European leaders have firmly rejected any US-Russia effort to reshape Europe’s security architecture without them, after US President Donald Trump suggested a sweeping deal that could extend beyond Ukraine. The remarks came ahead of talks in Abu Dhabi next week.
Trump said a potential agreement with Moscow could involve "all of Europe," according to Euronews, but he gave no details.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas responded that "we already have a European security architecture in place," and said Russian President Vladimir Putin does not have a veto over European security, according to Euronews.
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said an arrangement on the future of Ukraine and Europe reached without Europe would be "impossible," according to Euronews.
US envoy Jared Kushner listed five US goals, including permanent security consultations, reliable crisis communications and an enduring framework for long-term European security, according to the Straits Times.
Kushner also said Washington would consult closely with European partners and move to a broader multilateral format if progress is made, according to Euronews.
Europeans want Russia to halt its war before discussing Moscow’s broader security concerns, according to people familiar with the matter, as reported by the Straits Times.
Russian, Ukrainian and US officials are due to meet in Abu Dhabi next week. The Straits Times reported that the talks would resume negotiations for the first time since February.
The debate has a history. Before its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Russia demanded that NATO withdraw forces from countries that joined the alliance after 1997. NATO rejected those demands.
Some US voices have also weighed in. Democratic senator Michael Bennet wrote on X: "We already have a European security architecture. It’s called NATO." Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said Moscow could not be a guarantor of European security.
The outline for this story indicates that European officials are expected to attend the Abu Dhabi talks only if there is sufficient progress, and that Europe will be consulted on the sidelines.
Several gaps remain. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment, according to the Straits Times. Neither Trump nor the sources gave details of the proposed agreement. The sources do not report a Russian government response to the security proposals.
The outlets also differ on dating. Euronews says Trump’s remarks were made on Thursday, while the Straits Times dates the Sikorski quote to November 5. The Euronews text is cut off mid-sentence, so its final paragraphs may be incomplete. A third source, the Japan Times, was available only as a headline and short excerpt, so the key facts rest mainly on Euronews and the Straits Times.
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This article was written with AI assistance from the published reporting listed above. It is part of the World Brief daily news podcast.