British newspaper The Times reported on February 13 that top officials in the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) and across Europe are expressing deep skepticism about U.S. President Donald Trump’s attempts to negotiate an end to the Russian-Ukrainian war. Trump held phone calls on February 12 with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, but details of these conversations remain sketchy. Observers worry that the talks could sideline both Kyiv and European powers in crafting a post-conflict settlement.
Concerns Over Ukraine’s Exclusion
According to The Times, one unnamed official in the UK MoD was particularly critical of Trump’s outreach to Putin before consulting with other Western allies. The source drew an analogy to a well-known phrase from Ukraine’s Snake Island incident, in which Ukrainian border guards refused to surrender to a Russian warship on February 24, 2022. “Ukrainians have been fighting for three years and lost countless sons and daughters. Why should they be left out of talks on their own future?” the official said. “If I were them, I’d be telling Trump what those soldiers on Snake Island told the Russian warship.”
The official’s remarks underscore the frustration in London that Washington might unilaterally decide key elements of any peace deal, potentially disregarding Ukraine’s sovereignty and Europe’s security imperatives. European diplomats contacted by The Times echoed these sentiments, pointing out that excluding Ukraine from negotiations would be both diplomatically counterproductive and morally untenable.
EU Diplomatic Anxiety
The Times also reports widespread concern within the UK Foreign Office that Trump may be prepared to offer concessions to Putin in order to clinch a quick deal. A senior British government source told the paper, “If you remove Ukraine’s security guarantees and NATO membership from the equation, Putin might come to the table. But at what cost to Ukrainian self-determination?” These anxieties reflect a broader European fear that, without a firm commitment from Washington to protect Ukrainian interests, any agreement could serve Russian goals more than Ukrainian or European ones.
European diplomats quoted by The Times say the discussions have left them feeling blindsided. “Negotiations about Ukraine without Ukraine, and about European security without Europe, is a worst-case scenario,” one official stated, suggesting that if London does not intervene to demand a place at the negotiating table, no other European nation has the clout to do so. This in turn raises the specter of a bilateral Russia-U.S. agreement imposed on Ukraine and, by extension, Europe.
“Setting Up Ukraine for Failure?”
Multiple senior European diplomats told The Times that they believe the Trump administration has effectively “set up Ukraine for a fall,” with key concessions apparently agreed upon even before the start of formal negotiations. One described the situation as a “disaster,” asking rhetorically, “Why weaken our hand ahead of the talks? Ukraine promises rare earth metals in return for some arrangement. And what has Russia promised? Nothing! They continue their imperial ambitions.”
Those with knowledge of the internal debates in European capitals are warning that the perceived American pivot toward direct dialogue with Putin—while relegating the Ukrainian government to a secondary role—could undermine NATO unity. This rift might also embolden Russia to pursue further territorial or political gains, confident that European nations lack sufficient leverage to shape the negotiations.
Kremlin’s Two-Track Approach
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov fueled these fears on February 13 by stating that Russia considers Washington its primary negotiating partner, although “Ukraine will of course participate in the talks in some form.” At the same time, he confirmed a “bilateral Russian-American track.” For many in Europe, this two-track approach suggests that the U.S. and Russia could finalize key terms while effectively dictating conditions to Kyiv.
Ukrainian officials have expressed alarm as well. An unnamed Ukrainian military source quoted by The Times said, “We do not find this situation encouraging. Talks about Ukraine without our full involvement—how can that be good for our future?” With tens of thousands of casualties and massive internal displacement, Ukrainians fear an accord crafted in distant capitals may lock them into disadvantageous terms.
As the war grinds on, European unity has proven critical in supporting Ukraine diplomatically and militarily. Officials in London and other European capitals worry that unilateral American negotiations could jeopardize a fragile consensus. In the words of one British diplomat, “Unless we stand up for Ukraine and the principle that no discussions happen without them, who else will?” With the stakes rising, many in Europe and Ukraine await clarity from the White House on whether Trump’s overtures to Putin might come at their expense.
