European leaders have firmly rejected any attempt by Washington and Moscow to redraw the continent's security order without their participation, after President Donald Trump floated the idea of a sweeping agreement with Russia that would go beyond Ukraine and cover all of Europe.
Speaking on Thursday, Trump described the potential accord as a "very big" deal that would involve "all of Europe," without offering specifics. His son-in-law and special envoy, Jared Kushner, later said the US was working on a broader European security architecture to lay the groundwork for lasting peace.
The remarks have reignited concerns among European allies that the Trump administration might accommodate Russian President Vladimir Putin's long-standing demands at the expense of European interests. The initiative has drawn immediate objections from officials across the continent, who insist that Europe's security framework already exists and cannot be renegotiated behind their backs.
Europe insists on a seat at the table
"We already have a European security architecture in place," EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told journalists in Warsaw on Friday. "The problem remains that Russia keeps breaking the treaties that underpin it. NATO posed no threat to Russia in 2021, and it poses no threat to Russia at the moment. Putin does not have a veto over European security."
Kallas stressed that any agreement would need the EU's involvement to be implemented. Her stance was echoed by Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, who warned that a deal on Ukraine and Europe's future reached without European participation would be both politically unacceptable and practically impossible.
"An arrangement about the future of Ukraine and of Europe above our heads would not just be unwise. It is actually impossible," Sikorski said.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha, speaking after a meeting with Kallas in Warsaw, argued that Moscow cannot be regarded as a guarantor of European security. "We have to talk about protecting ourselves against Russia, not talking with Russians about spheres of influence in Europe," he said. Sybiha added that neither Ukraine's future nor Europe's security could be decided without the direct involvement of both Kyiv and European capitals.
Washington pushes for a broader framework
The diplomatic clash comes as the Trump administration intensifies efforts to end the war in Ukraine, with US representatives preparing for renewed negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow in Abu Dhabi next week. After months of stalled diplomacy, Washington has stepped up engagement with both sides, seeking a framework that could deliver a lasting settlement.
Earlier this week, American officials held two days of talks in Brussels with NATO, EU, and major European powers, focusing on security guarantees for Ukraine and the future of Europe's wider security arrangements. Kushner, who joined via video link, outlined Washington's ambition to develop a broader framework, saying the US was working towards practical arrangements to address the security concerns of all parties.
The American proposal attempts to link Ukraine's postwar security with the broader relationship between Russia and the West. But the language has revived European anxieties about Moscow's ambitions to revise the post-Cold War security order. Before its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russia issued an ultimatum to NATO demanding fundamental changes, including the withdrawal of alliance forces from countries that joined after 1997. NATO rejected those demands, insisting that sovereign states have the right to choose their own security arrangements.
For European capitals, the core issue is not simply whether Washington can negotiate an end to the war, but whether decisions affecting the entire continent can be made without the direct participation of those most affected. Europe has repeatedly called for a greater role in the US-led diplomatic initiative, especially as discussions extend beyond the immediate battlefield.
European Commission Chief Spokesperson Paula Pinho said on Friday that considerable work remains before a peace agreement can be reached, stressing that the EU will determine its own security matters. NATO, meanwhile, reiterated that allies are working towards a "just and sustainable" end to the conflict.
Kushner sought to reassure European partners that they would not be excluded from the wider process. He said Washington intends to consult closely with them on the sidelines of the Abu Dhabi negotiations and, if progress is achieved, move towards a broader multilateral format involving their direct participation.
The planned talks in Abu Dhabi will be a crucial test of Washington's ability to balance its ambitions with European demands for a seat at the table. As Poland has urged, Europe is determined not to be sidelined in decisions that shape its own security. The coming days will show whether the Trump administration is willing to treat European allies as partners rather than bystanders.
