The 27 leaders of the European Union are meeting in Brussels on 6 March for a special summit focused on Ukraine’s future amid significant shifts in US policy. According to Euronews, the emergency meeting was convened in reaction to US President Donald Trump’s unilateral decision to launch negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin following their 90-minute phone call.
The summit is the first in-person meeting of EU heads of state and government since Trump launched peace talks to end Russia’s three-year invasion of Ukraine. European leaders are deeply unsettled by Trump’s increasing alignment with Kremlin rhetoric, his refusal to label Russia as the aggressor, and his recent Oval Office confrontation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“The United States of America, our ally, has changed its position on this war, supporting Ukraine less, and leaving doubt about what comes next,” French President Emmanuel Macron said in a televised speech quoted by Euronews.
Macron described Europe as “entering a new era” due to the shift in Washington’s stance, according to CNN.
However, efforts to present a united EU front may be complicated by pro-Russian Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who has fully aligned with the new US administration and threatened to block any initiative he believes could undermine Trump’s push for a deal. Orbán specifically opposes the “peace through strength” approach, as it involves further military aid to Kyiv, Euronews says.
Trump asserts he wants a swift end to the war, justifying his direct talks with Russia—excluding Ukraine and the EU—before Congress, stating, “It’s time to end this senseless war. If you want to end wars, you have to talk to both sides.”
Meanwhile, the Trump administration has maintained a suspension of military aid and intelligence-sharing with Kyiv, decisions that could have serious consequences for Ukraine on the battlefield, giving advantage to Russia.
Last year, a six-month delay in approving Ukraine aid, caused by US congressional Republicans, allowed Russia to seize the initiative and begin incremental territorial gains, which continue to this day.
As European leaders gather to discuss peace, Russia continues its assault on Ukraine. Zelenskyy is traveling to Brussels just hours after Russian drone and missile attacks targeted his hometown of Kryvyi Rih.
Related:
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- ISW: US military aid pause puts Ukrainian cities in unprotected zone of Russian missile strikes
- FT: Trump administration freezes intelligence sharing with Ukraine
- Finland doubts Trump’s pivot towards Moscow will end Russo-Ukrainian war
- Poland says US suspended Ukraine aid without NATO or Ramstein consultations
