European leaders are outraged over Donald Trump’s secretive phone call with Vladimir Putin, calling it a "betrayal" and demanding a seat at the table for any negotiations on Ukraine’s future.
According to Bloomberg, the US failed to inform its EU allies before Trump’s direct talks with the Russian president — an omission that has sent shockwaves through European capitals.
‘We Must Be Part of Any Deal’
In response, the foreign ministers of Germany, France, Poland, Italy, Spain, the UK, and the EU issued a joint statement emphasizing their stance on the matter:
"Ukraine and Europe must be part of any negotiations. Our common goal must be to put Ukraine in a position of strength."
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas went further, insisting that "Europe must play a central role" in any discussions.
Meanwhile, Brussels fears that Trump will leave Europe with the bill for Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction and expect the EU to deploy peacekeepers to enforce any agreement.
“Trump sees money in us. And, frankly, we don’t know what our role will be at the table in exchange for that money,” a senior EU official told the Financial Times.
The first official Trump-Putin phone call since Trump’s return to the White House took place on February 12. Trump described the conversation as “long and very fruitful,” covering topics such as Ukraine, the Middle East, energy, artificial intelligence, and the strength of the dollar.
"Putin doesn’t want a temporary ceasefire—he wants peace now," Trump later told reporters, adding that he also spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who supposedly “wants peace just like Putin.”
With Trump pushing for a deal on Ukraine behind Europe’s back, EU officials fear they could be sidelined entirely. The idea of Washington cutting a deal and then forcing Europe to handle the fallout has left Brussels scrambling for influence—but whether Trump will listen remains an open question.
