European leaders are holding a special summit in Paris on Monday to discuss U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposals for ending the war in Ukraine.
Attending the informal meeting are leaders from Germany, Britain, Italy, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands, and Denmark, along with European Council President António Costa, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, according to the Élysée Palace.
French President Emmanuel Macron convened the talks to assess the security implications for Europe and ensure that European nations and Ukraine remain involved in peace discussions. The meeting, organized on short notice during the Munich Security Conference, comes amid concerns that Washington and Moscow may negotiate a settlement without European or Ukrainian participation.
While Trump has vowed to bring the conflict to an end, Ukraine and European nations insist they must be part of any peace talks. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has also stated that both Ukraine and Europe should be involved in negotiations.
Beyond Ukraine, European leaders are expected to discuss broader diplomatic and security strategies in response to the Trump administration’s recent demands and criticisms of Europe’s role in global affairs.
The Paris summit coincides with planned U.S.-Russia discussions in Saudi Arabia, where Rubio, U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz will meet Russian representatives. Neither Ukraine nor European nations will be part of those talks.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has reiterated that he will not accept any peace deal in which Ukraine is not directly involved.
