BRUSSELS — Europe is once again watching the White House through gritted teeth. An opaque Trump administration proposal for a new European-wide security arrangement with Russia has met skepticism from European capitals that fear it risks sidelining the continent and emboldening Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin. The problem remains that Russia keeps breaking the treaties that underpin it ...
Putin does not have a veto over European security.” The latest U.S. proposal underscores growing anxiety around Trump’s fresh rapprochement with Russia as he ramps up pressure on Ukraine and his administration attempts to revive long-stalled talks to end Moscow’s full-scale war against Kyiv. POLITICO spoke to 12 NATO diplomats, EU envoys and European government officials, all of whom were granted anonymity to speak freely on the sensitive issue. NATO allies were not briefed about the American plans in advance, according to three alliance diplomats, and many remain skeptical of the idea.
President Donald Trump late Thursday talked of a “big, beautiful agreement,” after meeting with Putin’s envoy Kirill Dmitriev, adding: “It’s going to involve more than Ukraine, and I could even say it might involve all of Europe.” “Our objective is to develop practical arrangements that address the security concerns of all sides, reduce the risk of future conflict, and create a more stable and predictable security environment,” Trump’s son-in-law and envoy Jared Kushner added soon after. Kushner said the arrangement would have five goals: “Permanent security consultations, reliable crisis communications, greater military transparency, reciprocal measures to reduce escalation risks, and an enduring framework for long-term European security and stability.” “It is a bit obscure what Kushner meant,” said one NATO diplomat. But “the group around Trump underestimated how important the conflict is for Europe and how a bad outcome for Ukraine is very dangerous for Europe.” “It's a long-standing position for us and many others that European security architecture should not be discussed while there is a war,” said a senior European security official.
This week saw two rounds of working-level meetings in Brussels on a Ukraine peace deal, ahead of U.S.-brokered working-level talks with Ukraine and Russia on Nov. 10-11 in Abu Dhabi. The meeting had been intended to focus on AI, but developments in Ukraine could overshadow the talks, a third EU diplomat said. Still, some allies fear the U.S. may tie its new initiative to an upcoming review of American troops in Europe, expected in December.
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