European leaders meet today for an emergency summit to discuss U.S. President Donald Trump's plans to end the war in Ukraine, while U.S.-Russian talks on Ukraine and beyond begin in Saudi Arabia.
The goal is to agree on a common strategy to confront Trump, including what they can offer him and what Europe's red lines are regarding Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte backed the United States and asked European leaders, instead of complaining about whether or not to sit down at the negotiating table, to increase their defense spending within NATO and think about what security guarantees they can provide to Ukraine.
The diplomatic reversal that shocked the Europeans was clear after US Vice President J.D. Vance spoke at the Munich security conference announcing to his allies that "there is now a new sheriff on the planet", and "scolding" Europeans for not taking care of the real security problem they face, which he said are "enemies from within".
The embarrassment, in any case, is evident to the EU leaders after Trump's moved to consult with Vladimir Putin without informing Europe, while the cold spell continued in the following days.
Leaders from Germany, Britain, Italy, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands, and Denmark are expected to attend a meeting in Paris, along with European Council President Antonio Costa, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, the French Elysée presidential palace announced.
French President Emmanuel Macron, who called Trump earlier in the day, organized the meeting "to begin consultations on the situation in Ukraine and security challenges in Europe", the statement said, adding that the process could continue with other formats.
The meeting was organized at short notice over the weekend during the Munich Security Conference.
Diplomats have said the question of what Europe can contribute to a potential peace deal will also be discussed in Paris after the United States urged Europe to contribute more.
Stepping up diplomacy on Ukraine means Europe needs to do more and in a better way, a French presidency official said ahead of today's talks.
"We believe that, as a result of the acceleration of the Ukraine issue, as well as a result of what American leaders are saying, Europeans must do more, better and in a more structured way for our collective security," the official told reporters.
"These initiatives are an opportunity in the sense that they can help accelerate the end of the war in Ukraine, but obviously we need to agree and see under what conditions an end to the war can be achieved," the official said.
The talks, he added, would examine "the security guarantees that can be given by the Europeans and the Americans, together or separately."
Some countries have been unhappy that only handpicked leaders are attending the meeting and is not a full EU summit, European officials said.
The French presidency official said the meeting would facilitate future talks in Brussels and NATO. "Everyone should be able to take part in the debate," he said.
EU countries and Ukraine are concerned about the prospect of the U.S. and Russia bilaterally seeking a peace settlement, particularly after Trump spoke last week with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
To speed up the negotiation process with Moscow, the Trump administration has unveiled a plan that rules out Ukraine joining NATO, makes territorial concessions to Russia, and closes the door on U.S. participation in future peacekeeping operations. In the European corridors of power, it is estimated that on these terms Washington is turning its back on its allies to make a deal with Putin.
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