European leaders are preparing for an urgent meeting next week to discuss the war in Ukraine.
As per BBC, this comes as they are concerned that the United States is engaging in peace talks with Russia without including Europe.
Sir Keir Starmer, who is likely to attend the summit in Paris, stated that this is a rare opportunity to shape the country’s national security.
As per the outlet, he stressed that Europe needs to take on a bigger role in NATO, suggesting that European nations should take more responsibility for their defence and security.
Donald Trumps’ special envoy to Ukraine stated that while European leaders would be informed about the discussions, they would not be directly involved in negotiations between the US and Russia on ending war.
Meanwhile high-ranking US officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio are set to meet Russian negotiators in Saudi Arabia soon.
The US claims that Ukraine has been invited to these talks, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says his country has not received any such invitation.
Special envoy Keith Kellogg suggested that past negotiations failed because too many countries or groups were involved.
Starmer aims to bridge the gap between the US and Europe to ensure a coordinated approach to peace in Ukraine.
As part of his effort, he will discuss European leader’s views with the US President Trump when he visits the White House at the end of the month.
After Starmer returns from Washington, another meeting is expected to take place, involving European leaders and Zelensky.
