Recent U.S. announcements on Ukraine have made it utterly clear: The Trump administration’s approach to the war in Ukraine is a radically different one from the Biden administration’s. As evidenced by the Paris meeting of European leaders on Feb. 17 and the U.S.-Russia talks in Riyadh, this shift increases pressure on European governments to step up their own efforts.
This includes U.S. calls for Europeans to bear a large share of responsibility in providing security guarantees for Ukraine in case of a ceasefire agreement, which may ultimately result in European troops deployed to implement such a deal.
The Paris meeting demonstrates the urgency felt among European leaders in forming a common European position on that issue amid fears of becoming sidelined in any future peace talks. As the EU’s High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, pointed out earlier this week in an interview with German media: “It cannot be that Russia gets Ukrainian territories, the USA gets natural resources and Europe pays the bill for peacekeeping. That doesn’t work.”
About the author
Julian Bergmann
Julian Bergmann is senior researcher at the German Institute of Development and Sustainability. His research and policy advisory work deals with EU development policy, EU foreign and security policy, the EU’s engagement in fragile contexts, and European support for Ukraine.
