The EU heads' shock from the Munich meeting and preparation for the US-Russia talks. What the media say
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- The EU heads' shock from the Munich meeting and preparation for the US-Russia talks. What the media say
TheUSA and Russia are preparing for the start of negotiations on Ukraine, which will start on February 18 in Saudi Arabia. Kiev officials have not been invited to the talks. Meanwhile, Europe is recovering from the shock experienced at the Munich Security Conference, which left it without influence on the Ukrainian conflict. What the world media say about what is happening - in Izvestia's digest.
Axios: Representatives of the US and Russia will meet in Saudi Arabia on February 18
A meeting of senior US and Russian officials to discuss a possible agreement to end the conflict in Ukraine and prepare for the talks between Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin will be held in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, February 18. This was reported by two sources familiar with the situation.
Axios
The US delegation will include Secretary of State Marco Rubio, White House National Security Advisor Mike Walz and Special Representative for the Middle East Steve Whitkoff. It is not yet clear who will be part of the Russian delegation.
One source said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is likely to attend. A senior Ukrainian official said Ukraine received the only invitation "through media reports." The meeting will be another significant step in improving relations between the US and Russia.
BBC News: Ukraine has not been invited to talks with the US and Russia
Kiev has not been invited to talks between the US and Russia aimed at ending the conflict in Ukraine, a senior Ukrainian government source has said. At the same time, US special representative Keith Kellogg earlier claimed that Kiev would take part in the talks in Saudi Arabia.
BBC News
European leaders have also not been invited to join the discussions, and are instead due to meet on Monday [February 17] in Paris at a summit hastily organized by French President [Emmanuel Macron] as fears grow that the continent could be left out of the talks.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (term expired May 20, 2024) has repeatedly ruled out accepting a peace agreement negotiated without Ukraine's participation. He said on February 16 that he would "never accept any decision between the United States and Russia over Ukraine." Trump said at the same time that he expected Zelensky to participate in the talks, but did not specify in what way.
The Times: Starmer will try to convince Trump not to give up on Ukraine
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will try to persuade Trump not to abandon Ukraine. At a meeting with European leaders, he will position Britain as a country that can influence the US. He will travel to Paris for a hastily organized meeting with Europe's biggest military allies, who will try to respond to Trump's peace initiatives.
The Times
Starmer will try to act as a "bridge" between Europe and the US, believing the UK has a better chance of persuading Trump to maintain security guarantees for Kiev and bring President Zelensky to negotiate an end to the <military operation>.
Starmer has already said he is "ready and willing" to send British troops to Ukraine for peacekeeping purposes to deal with an "existential" threat to Europe.
Bloomberg: EU seeks military revival under pressure from Putin and Trump
European officials are working on a major new package to boost defense spending and support Ukraine, while Trump is pushing for an early end to the conflict. The spending plans won't be announced before Germany's Feb. 23 election to avoid stirring controversy ahead of the vote.
Bloomberg
Several EU leaders were invited to Paris on Monday to begin crafting their response after U.S. officials made clear there is a limit to what the U.S. is willing to do. European leaders are tasked with revitalizing the continent's military might after nearly 80 years in which they have effectively outsourced much of their security to the US.
Trump's return to the White House has fundamentally altered transatlantic relations. U.S. officials have made clear that the president is willing to let the Europeans reap the consequences if they refuse to take responsibility for their own security. Some officials said the pace of the talks, which begin this week in Saudi Arabia with top U.S. and Russian officials, is ambitious and potentially unrealistic.
Reuters: Shocked Europeans struggle to keep up with Trump
European officials have been shocked and caught off guard by the Trump administration's actions on Ukraine, Russia and European defense in recent days. There was a sense of confusion and mistrust among European delegates at the Munich security conference, as well as a slight patina of panic, though some tried to remain calm after a dizzying few days.
Reuters
Chief among their fears: they could no longer be sure of U.S. military protection and that U.S. President Donald Trump would strike a peace deal on Ukraine with Russian President Vladimir Putin that would undermine the security of Kiev and Europe as a whole. These concerns were fueled by U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance's speech at the conference, in which he only mentioned Ukraine and European defense in passing and focused on accusing Europe of suppressing free speech and failing to control migration.
Europeans' fears of being left out of the Ukraine talks were heightened after Kellogg said they would not sit at the peace talks table, although their views would be taken into account. Trump's actions reversed years of Western policy by the Joe Biden administration and European powers that sought to isolate Putin and insisted that peace talks should only begin when Ukraine took a stronger position on the battlefield.
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