Macron Hosts Emergency Summit on Ukraine War Amid U.S.-Europe Tensions

French President Emmanuel Macron will host European leaders on Monday for an emergency summit on the Ukraine war following U.S. statements suggesting Europe might be excluded from peace talks. Macron called the meeting to address the shift in U.S. policy on Ukraine and its impact on European security.

Attending leaders include German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and European Council President Antonio Costa.

U.S. President Donald Trump surprised European allies last week by announcing a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin without prior consultation and his intent to initiate peace talks. Further concerns arose when Trump’s Ukraine envoy, Keith Kellogg, indicated Europe would be excluded from these negotiations. The U.S. has sent inquiries to NATO allies on their potential contributions to Kyiv's security and what support they would need from Washington for involvement.

The EU has struggled to present a united front on the Ukraine conflict, with past summits highlighting divisions among its 27 member states. Some EU officials expressed dissatisfaction that Monday's meeting includes only selected leaders, not the full EU. The French presidency, however, emphasized that this summit could pave the way for broader discussions involving all interested European partners.

Macron's initiative underscores growing concerns over European security as the Ukraine war continues, with Russia's invasion now in its third year. The summit aims to solidify Europe’s role in securing peace and stability despite the evolving U.S. stance.