Ukraine peace talks LIVE: 'Emergency Summit' begins in Paris ahead of US-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia
World: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on Europe to take a stronger role in its defence and warned the US against exclusion of Kyiv in the meeting.
European leaders have gathered in France as President Emmanuel Macron called for an "emergency summit" on Ukraine after US President Donald Trump's administration announced open talks with Russia on the Ukraine war without acting involvement of Europe.
Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and it is nearing its third anniversary.
The Paris meeting is expected to address multiple issues, including:
- US attempts to sideline Europe in peace talks with Russia
- Ukraine’s potential NATO membership
- How Ukraine can receive security guarantees
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on Europe to take a stronger role in its defence and warned the US against exclusion.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and special envoy Steve Witkoff are slated to meet with the Russian delegation in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday (Feb 18). The talks, it appears, will not have a presence from Ukraine.
Trump on Monday said that he could meet Russian president Vladimir Putin "very soon", adding that he believes that Putin genuinely wants to stop fighting in Ukraine.
Please read wrap story on Paris Summit on Ukraine peace talks.
Scholz called for more flexible rules of funding to support Ukraine and reassure Kyiv it can rely on Europe's backing.
“We welcome that there are talks about a peace agreement, but for us it is clear this cannot be a diktat,” he said.
He further said that Ukraine must be allowed to defend itself, continue on the path to join the European Union, and have own strong army.
German chancellor Olaf Scholz, while briefing the press, said that no dictate can be imposed on Ukraine, and stressed that Europe should continue to support Ukraine, Reuters reported.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that he expects that General Keith Kellogg, US President Donald Trump's envoy to Ukraine, will be visiting Kyiv on Thursday.
He said, "We're waiting for Kellogg. We had an agreement for him to arrive on 20 February, to stay for two days and maybe more."
"I want to take him to the front, and he'll go with me to the front, I think he won't refuse. I want him to learn about all the issues, to talk to our military personnel," Zelensky added.
Spain has ruled out any immediate discussion on deploying troops to Ukraine as part of a potential future peacekeeping mission, saying that the priority remains achieving peace first. Read full story here
US State Department said that the Saudi Arabia's meeting between senior US and Russian officials will be a "first step" towards seeing whether Moscow is "serious" about talks to end war in Ukraine.
“This is a follow up on that initial conversation between Putin and President Trump about perhaps if that first step is even possible," State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said.
“I don't think people should view this as something that is about details or moving forward in some kind of a negotiation,” she added.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ahead of Russia meeting.
Other key US officials also joined Rubio, as they prepare for talks with Russian officials on Tuesday (Feb 18).
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that "NATO must be built in Ukraine". Speaking during a press conference on Monday (Feb 17), as he visits the United Arab Emirates, Zelensky says he told US President Trump "we want to sign an agreement", but "there are still no guarantees of safety. And security guarantees, they should be outlined."
Leaders from Germany, Britain, Italy, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands and Denmark as well as the NATO secretary-general and the presidents of the EU Council and Commission arrive for a meeting in Paris to discuss Ukraine.
US President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron talked spoke before Paris meet, Reuters reported.
Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof, expected to take part in the Ukraine peace talk, signalled he is open to discuss the deployment of troops in Ukraine.
In a report by Telegraaf, he said such decisions would need to be "conducted properly" adding that he is "not negative" about the decision.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says that Moscow would not compromise on territory it has seized in eastern and southern Ukraine.
“For what? For the Russians to be destroyed as now they are destroyed in Kursk region and in other regions of the Russian Federation?,” Lavrov said in a press conference.
SlovakPrime Minister Robert Fico said that European Union officials have no mandate for talks in Paris on Europe’s role in any Ukraine peacetalk with Russia.
German chancellor Olaf Scholz said any discussion on European troops taking part in a peacekeeping force in Ukraine is premature.
“unfortunately we are still a long way off” that moment, and added that “it’s quite clear that a very strong Ukrainian army, even in peacetime, must be at the core” of any solution, Scholz said, The Guardian reported.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer called on participating countries, including France and Germany to "step up" their defence spending.
Starmer said that UK is ready to play "a leading part" in these efforts. "This isn't just about the front line in Ukraine, it's the front line of Europe and of the United Kingdom - it's our national security, and I think that we need to do more," he added.
Ahead of the Paris Summit, Polish prime minister Donald Tusk said that Poland will not send troops to Ukraine as part of a peacekeeping force.
Tusk said the issue of Polish support was “settled,” as Warsaw was ready to continue its logistical, financial, humanitarian and military support for Ukraine, but not to deploy Polish troops inside Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Kyiv won't take part in US-Russia talks this week on ending the war and won't accept the outcome of talks if Ukraine doesn't take part.
Zelenskyy said his government had not been invited to Tuesday’s planned talks in Saudi Arabia.
It would "yield no results,” given the absence of any Ukrainian officials, Zelensky said while speaking to journalists on a conference call from the UAE.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that Europe needs to “step up in terms of our collective response in Europe” as he travels to join European leaders in Paris for emergency talks on Ukraine on Monday.
“By that, I mean playing our full part when it comes to the defence of the sovereignty of Ukraine if there’s a peace agreement,” he said.
