Europe News Digest (16-28 February, 2025)

Starmer says US 'Backstop' Needed for Ukraine Peace Deal

Sir Keir Starmer has said any Ukraine peace deal would require a "US backstop" to deter Russia from attacking its neighbour again. Speaking after a hastily convened meeting with European leaders in Paris, the Prime Minister repeated that he would consider deploying UK troops to Ukraine in the event of a lasting peace agreement. But he said "a US security guarantee was the only way to effectively deter Russia", and vowed to discuss the "key elements" of a peace deal with US President Donald Trump when the pair meet in Washington soon. Sir Keir said Europe would "have to do more" to defend the continent in the face of the "generational" security challenge Russia poses. European leaders convened at the Élysée Palace to discuss concerns over the Trump administration's decision to initiate peace talks with Russia - due to start in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday - alone. Click here to read... [2]

European Leaders Stress Support for Ukraine but Disagree on Peacekeeping Mission

An informal summit in Paris among European leaders concluded without any concrete announcement, as the idea of deploying peacekeeping troops to Ukraine remains highly divisive. European leaders vowed to continue their joint support for Ukraine in the face of Russia's invasion but failed to provide any new security guarantees that could make a difference amid Donald Trump's push to launch negotiations with Russia. Trump's declared intention to strike a deal to settle the three-year war in the coming weeks has shaken Europe to the core and stoked fears it could lead to painful concessions for Kyiv and leave the continent vulnerable to the Kremlin's expansionism. The White House has sent a questionnaire to European allies asking, among other things, if they would be willing to deploy peacekeeping soldiers to the war-torn nation. French President Emmanuel Macron had previously voiced his openness to that scenario. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said her country was "open-minded" to the peacekeeping idea but cautioned there were "a lot of questions" that needed answers. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was far more critical, saying any discussion on peacekeepers was "completely premature" and "highly inappropriate" at the present moment, given the war still rages on with all its brutality. Click here to read... [3]

Ukraine will not Accept a Saudi-Talks Peace Deal, says Zelenskyy

EU and Ukraine have been excluded from high-stakes negotiations between top Russian and US officials. Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterated that Ukraine would not recognise any peace agreements made without its participation, as top Russian and US officials prepare to meet in Saudi Arabia for high-stakes talks on the war in Ukraine. “Ukraine regards any negotiations on Ukraine without Ukraine as ones that have no result, and we cannot recognise … any agreements about us without us,” Zelenskyy said. His comments came as Russian and American officials travelled to Riyadh for talks on February 18, aimed at ending Moscow’s nearly three-year war in Ukraine, with Kyiv and Europe excluded from the negotiations. Zelenskyy confirmed Ukraine would not take part in the talks. “Ukraine did not know anything about it,” he said. The swift push to organise the US-Russia talks came after last week’s call between Trump and Vladimir Putin, where the two leaders discussed opening negotiations on the war. The meeting in Riyadh will mark the first in-person discussions between top officials from both countries in years, after a sharp downturn in relations after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Click here to read... [4]

A Worried NATO Holds Large-Scale Combat Drills as the US Shifts its Europe Stance Under Trump

NATO members continued their largest combat exercises of 2025 on February 19, testing their ability to rapidly deploy large-scale forces on the 32-nation alliance’s eastern border as worries grow over its most powerful member, the United States. The drills in Romania, which borders Ukraine, come as a shaken Europe grapples with a new U.S. course under President Donald Trump. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has demanded that allies dramatically ramp up military spending and said U.S. security priorities lie elsewhere — casting doubts on Washington’s longstanding security guarantees provided to Europe. Days before the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Steadfast Dart 2025 drills comprise about 10,000 military personnel from nine nations as part of NATO’s new Allied Reaction Force. They are taking place over six weeks in Romania, Bulgaria and Greece. Although the Trump administration has not announced plans to pull U.S. forces from the region, Hegseth’s remark that “European allies must lead from the front” left NATO partners contemplating a potential new reality in which the U.S. is no longer the powerful, nuclear-armed backstop for the continent’s security. Click here to read... [5]

Trump Calls Zelenskyy a ‘Dictator’ as Rift Between Two Leaders Deepens

President Trump has spent the day attacking Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, calling him a "dictator" and deepening the rift between the two leaders. His attacks came after Zelensky, reacting to US-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia from which Kyiv was excluded, said the US president was "living in a disinformation space" governed by Moscow. Speaking at a Saudi-backed investment meeting in Florida, Trump said the only thing Zelensky "was really good at was playing Joe Biden like a fiddle". The "dictator" slur quickly prompted criticism from European leaders including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who said "it is simply wrong and dangerous to deny President Zelensky his democratic legitimacy". Zelensky's five-year term of office was due to come to an end in May 2024. However, Ukraine has been under martial law since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022 and elections are suspended. Zelensky told reporters in Kyiv: "We are seeing a lot of disinformation and it's coming from Russia. With all due respect to President Donald Trump as a leader... he is living in this disinformation space." Click here to read... [6]

French President Macron and UK PM Keir Starmer Invited to White House for Ukraine Talks

Just after the second emergency meeting, held in Paris - mainly through video call - with 19 heads of state on February 19 evening, US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz announced the two key European leaders will have a seat at the negotiating table after EU leaders raised the alarm over Donald Trump’s handling of the war in Ukraine. After organising two emergency meetings this week in Paris with EU countries and NATO member states to devise a united response to the rapprochement between Moscow and the US, it looks like Europe is finally getting a seat at the negotiating table After Russian and US officials met in Saudi Arabia this week, one of the main fears has become that Trump could reach an agreement with Moscow that would work against the security interests of both Ukraine and the EU. Tensions have been escalating between the US and Ukraine since the announcement of that meeting, which excluded Kyiv. But other than a consensus on Russia posing a looming security threat to Europe, the bloc is deeply divided on how to respond, particularly when it comes to whether or not to send peacekeeping troops to Ukraine. Click here to read... [7]

Polish Presidency and MEPs: No Peace Without Backing of the Ukrainian People

Following the recent meeting held between US and Russian officials in Saudi Arabia, which excluded Ukraine, some members of the European Parliament published a joint statement declaring that any peace in Ukraine will have to be backed by the Ukrainian people. “No peace in Ukraine can be negotiated without the full participation of Ukraine’s democratically elected leadership and the backing of its people. Any settlement that excludes Ukraine or undermines its legitimate aspirations will be neither just nor viable,” said the statement. They also stressed that Europe's security architecture cannot be discussed without the active involvement of the EU and its member states, while also emphasising their unwavering support for Ukraine. Click here to read... [8]

US Officials Demand Zelenskyy to Return to Talks over Critical Minerals Deal

US President Donald Trump’s national security adviser has demanded that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy return to negotiations over critical minerals deal with the US, amid a deepening rift between Washington and Kyiv. Zelenskyy had rejected US plans to strike a deal for a share of Ukraine’s mineral wealth to repay Washington for wartime aid on February 19, saying the US offered no specific security guarantees in the agreement. “He needs to come back to the table,” Mike Waltz said of Zelenskyy at a press briefing. “President Trump is obviously very frustrated right now with President Zelensky, the fact that he hasn’t come to the table, that he hasn’t been willing to take this opportunity that we have offered,” he said. The comments came shortly after the US cancelled a planned news conference with Zelenskyy and a US envoy in Kyiv. Click here to read... [9]

US Delegation Cancels Press Conference with Trump’s Envoy and Zelenskyy

The press conference with Keith Kellogg and the Ukrainian President was called off in Kyiv on February 20, just one day after Trump called Zelenskyy a "dictator" and criticised his leadership. Zelenskyy and retired US General Keith Kellogg, Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine and Russia, were supposed to speak to the press after their meeting in the Ukrainian capital. However, the event has been called off, the Ukrainian president’s spokesperson Serhii Nikiforov said. The US delegation has not made comment at this time. Kellogg’s trip to Kyiv coincided with a recent exchange between Trump and Zelenskyy, which escalated to Trump calling Zelenskyy a "dictator," casting further doubt on the future of Washington's support for Ukraine amidst the ongoing Russian invasion of the eastern European country. "I love Ukraine, but Zelenskyy has done a terrible job, his country is shattered, and millions have unnecessarily died," Trump says in a post on Truth Social "Zelenskyy better move fast or he is not going to have a country left," he added. Click here to read... [10]

UN Approves Ukraine Resolution Condemning Russia

The resolution, passed with 93 votes in favour, 18 against, and 65 abstentions, comes on the third anniversary of Russia's war with Ukraine. Ukraine and its European allies tabled the draft resolution ‘Advancing a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine’. The newly adopted resolution called for “de-escalation, an early cessation of hostilities and a peaceful resolution of the war against Ukraine, marked by enormous destruction and human suffering, including among the civilian population, in line with the Charter of the United Nations and international law”. The resolution stands as a win for Ukraine but also showcases diminished support for Kyiv. India abstained on a UN General Assembly draft resolution that called for a de-escalation, an early cessation of hostilities and a peaceful resolution of the war against Ukraine. For the first time since Russia invaded Ukraine three years ago, the US voted with the Russians in an attempt to block a draft resolution by Ukraine, signalling a clear departure from its position signalling a break from Europe. Click here to read... [11]

Discontented Germany Votes in an Election with Economy, Migration and Far-Right Strength in Focus

German voters are choosing a new government in an election on Sunday (February 23, 2025) dominated by worries about the years-long stagnation of Europe's biggest economy, pressure to curb migration and growing uncertainty over the future of Ukraine and Europe's alliance with the United States. The centre-right opposition is favoured to win, while polls point to the strongest result for a far-right party since World War II. The leader of Germany’s conservative opposition, Friedrich Merz, of the Christian Democratic Union secured a modest victory in Sunday’s national election. At the same time, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) doubled its support, marking the party’s strongest showing since World War II, according to projections. Click here to read... [12]

Trump says Putin will Accept European Peacekeepers in Post-Ceasefire Ukraine

US President Donald Trump has said Russia's leader Vladimir Putin would accept European peacekeepers deployed to Ukraine as part of a potential deal to end the war. Trump made the comments to reporters at the start of a meeting at the White House with French President Emmanuel Macron on the third anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "Yeah, he will accept it," Trump said. "I have asked him that question. Look, if we do this deal, he’s not looking for World War." It's unclear why Putin has had this apparent change of mind about international peacekeeping forces in Ukraine. Trump emphasised that his only objective is to bring the war to a close, and achieve, ultimately, a permanent peace. The 47th US president says that Europe and Washington must work toward restoring global peace. He also praised hailed Macron for agreeing that the “cost and burden” of securing the peace in Ukraine must be borne by European nations. Click here to read... [13]

Trump Vows to Slap 25% Tariffs on EU and Claims Bloc was ‘Formed to Screw US’

Donald Trump has threatened to slap 25% tariffs on the European Union, claiming the 27-country bloc was “formed to screw the United States”. Speaking at his first cabinet meeting on February 26, the US president said he would soon release details of the latest tariff threat. “We have made a decision and we’ll be announcing it very soon. It’ll be 25%,” he said. The EU vowed to respond “firmly and immediately” to “unjustified” trade barriers, signalling that it stands ready to retaliate swiftly against new tariffs. The bloc is the US’s third largest trading partner alongside China. Trump has said he will impose 25% tariffs on the US’s two largest trading partners, Canada and Mexico, next week. Trump did not give further details but mentioned carmakers and said the levies would be applied “generally”. “And that’ll be on cars and all other things,” he said. The European Commission shot back that the European Union is "the world's largest free market" and has been "a boon for the United States" Click here to read... [14]

The European Commission to Visit India on 27-28 February

On February 27, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will begin a two-day visit to India, and she’s bringing a sizable party from the European Union’s (EU’s) College of Commissioners with her. More than twenty senior political leaders from EU member states are planning to meet with Indian leaders, and von der Leyen will meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The trip comes a day after US President Donald Trump said he would impose 25 percent tariffs on imports from the EU and as India looks to bolster its ties abroad to reduce its dependence on China. Von der Leyen is heading to India along with nearly all of the EU College of Commissioners, the first visit of its kind. India’s role as one of the de facto leaders of the Global South has cemented its spot as a go-to partner for the EU. So, too, has the continued economic rise of China, as well as Trump’s increasingly unpredictable approach toward Europe, as demonstrated on February 26 with his newly announced plan to put a 25 percent tariff on imports from the EU. The EU and India see each other as potential sources of stability within an increasingly turbulent geopolitical landscape. India and the EU need each other more than ever, especially on issues like connectivity, trade, technological advancements, and security and defence cooperation. This trip could go a long way in cementing strategic priorities for both sides—that is, if they can move past roadblocks that have thus far hindered deeper cooperation. Click here to read... [15]

Trump says Peace Deal in Ukraine to Happen ‘Fairly Soon’ or Not at All

US President Donald Trump says talks to end Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine are “very well advanced” and warned that that there is only a narrow window to broker a deal between Moscow and Kyiv and bring the fighting to a close. He made the remarks on February 27 as he hosted British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the White House, who visited Washington to urge Trump to continue supporting Ukraine, as tensions soared after Trump and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy traded blows last week. The 47th US president also expressed confidence that Russian President Vladimir Putin won’t push to resume the war if a truce can’t be reached. “I think he’ll keep his word,” said Trump on Putin. “I’ve known him for a long time now, we had to go through the Russian hoax together,” added Trump referring to the FBI and Justice Department special counsel investigation that examined whether his 2016 presidential campaign illegally coordinated with the Kremlin to sway the outcome of the election. Click here to read... [16]