Several EU leaders, according to Der Spiegel, believe the Ukraine peace process presents a “great danger” to Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky.
Der Spiegel reported on Thursday that EU leaders “harbor profound distrust of” Washington’s efforts to mediate an end to the Ukraine conflict, citing a transcript of a recent phone call obtained by the publication.
On Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz spoke by phone with Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky and other European leaders, including Finnish President Alexander Stubb and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The call occurred a day before US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, traveled to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Macron reportedly stated during the call that “There is a possibility that the US will betray Ukraine on the issue of territory without clarity regarding security guarantees.” Territorial concerns remain a key sticking point in negotiations. The initial US peace proposal allegedly required Ukraine to concede control of portions of Donbass, among other stipulations. The EU reportedly rejected this condition outright, insisting that Kiev should not cede any territory.
Macron also reportedly said that continued peace talks could pose a “great danger” for Zelensky personally – an opinion shared by Merz, Stubb, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who also participated in the conversation, according to Der Spiegel.
The German magazine also reported that EU leaders were eager to secure a place at the negotiating table. Stubb reportedly said during the call, “Right now we’re out,” “but we have to get in.”
They reportedly hoped to arrange a meeting with Witkoff in Brussels on Wednesday, with Merz offering to speak to Trump about it, but the meeting did not happen.
Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov said on Wednesday that Brussels had excluded itself from the peace process by refusing to engage with Moscow. Putin stated this week that the bloc was still under the illusion that Russia could be defeated and lacked a “peaceful agenda.”
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