US to mediate Russia, Ukraine peace talks without Europe but demands plans on post-war support
The United States is demanding detailed proposals from European countries on how they plan to support Ukraine throughout peace negotiations and after the war with Russia.Questionnaires sent by the State Department this week aim to gauge Europe’s willingness to supply weaponry, troops and other security arrangements, the Financial Times reported.It comes as the US prepares to mediate talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to end the nearly three-year war.Europe is not expected to have a seat at the table, but its interests will be taken into account, special envoy Keith Kellogg said Saturday.
A plan could come in days or weeks, he said.“To my European friends, I would say, get into the debate, not by complaining that you might, yes or no, be at the table, but by coming up with concrete proposals, ideas, ramp up [defense] spending,” Kellogg said during a meeting at the Munich Security Conference, according to reports.President Trump has long called for European nations to meet their NATO defense spending obligations and step up their share of the burden for the conflict in Ukraine.European leaders immediately criticized the announcement, which follows Trump’s call with Putin this week, which came without warning to them.“There’s no way in which we can have discussions or negotiations about Ukraine, Ukraine’s future or European security structure, without Europeans,” Finland’s President Alexander Stubb said at the conference.“But this means that Europe needs to get its act together,” he added.“Europe needs to talk less and do more.”After his conversation with Putin, Trump called Zelensky, but did not mention bringing Europe to the table.“That says a lot,” Zelensky said in a speech Saturday in Munich.
“The old days are over — when America supported Europe just because it always had.”Yet he continued to emphasize the importance of maintaining “the closest possible relationship with...