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EU rejects Trump's proposal for a US-Russia security deal covering Europe

EU rejects Trump's proposal for a US-Russia security deal covering Europe

Rule Changes

European leaders say Moscow cannot hold a veto over the continent's security as Ukraine talks prepare to resume in Abu Dhabi

Yesterday: Trump teases deal covering 'all of Europe'

Overview

Updated 1 hour ago

European leaders rejected a US proposal to negotiate a new security framework with Russia that would cover 'all of Europe,' saying the continent's existing arrangements cannot be rewritten without them. The objection came a day after President Donald Trump described a pending deal as 'big, beautiful' and said it might extend beyond Ukraine.

The dispute is about who sets Europe's security rules. Washington wants a broad settlement to end the war in Ukraine. European capitals and Kyiv say Russia cannot be given a say over NATO membership or the continent's defenses.

Why it matters

If Washington and Moscow rewrite Europe's security rules without European input, the postwar order could be renegotiated without the countries it protects.

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Key Indicators

5
Goals in the US framework
Kushner listed permanent consultations, crisis communications, military transparency, escalation limits and a long-term security framework.
2
Days of Brussels talks
US representatives met NATO, EU and major European powers before the Abu Dhabi round.
1997
NATO expansion baseline Russia cites
Moscow has sought a rollback of NATO forces to levels before the alliance's 1997 enlargement.

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People Involved

Donald Trump
Donald Trump
President of the United States
Pushing for a broad US-Russia settlement
 Jared Kushner
Jared Kushner
US special envoy and Trump's son-in-law
Leading the administration's security-framework outreach
 Kaja Kallas
Kaja Kallas
European Union foreign policy chief
Rejected the US-Russia framework without European participation
 Radoslaw Sikorski
Radoslaw Sikorski
Foreign minister of Poland
Says a deal without Europe is impossible
 Andriy Sybiha
Andriy Sybiha
Foreign minister of Ukraine
Says Moscow cannot guarantee European security
 Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
President of Ukraine
Warns a broad deal could divide the continent
 Dmitry Peskov
Dmitry Peskov
Kremlin spokesman
Says security guarantees must be mutual
 Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin
President of Russia
Has demanded limits on NATO's eastern presence

Organizations Involved

European Union
European Union
Supranational political and economic union
Rejected any US-Russia framework negotiated without European participation

The EU's 27 member states say the continent's security architecture already exists and cannot be renegotiated over their heads.
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
Military alliance
Says it remains central to European collective defense

The 32-member alliance rejected Russia's pre-2022 demands to withdraw forces from members that joined after 1997.
The Kremlin / Russian Government
The Kremlin / Russian Government
Russian presidential administration
Says security guarantees can only be mutual

Moscow wants Ukraine out of NATO and has floated a rollback of NATO's presence to 1997 levels.

Timeline

5 events Latest: Yesterday
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. Trump teases deal covering 'all of Europe'

    Latest Statement

    Trump says the agreement will be 'very big' and may involve more than Ukraine, without giving details.

  2. EU rejects deal negotiated over its head

    Reaction

    Kallas says Europe already has a security architecture and that Putin has no veto over it.

  3. Poland and Ukraine echo rejection

    Reaction

    Sikorski calls a deal above Europe's head impossible; Sybiha says Moscow cannot guarantee European security.

  4. Kushner outlines five-point framework

    Statement

    The US envoy lists consultations, crisis communications, transparency, escalation limits and a long-term framework, saying no country holds a veto over another's alliances.

  5. Kremlin sets out its terms

    Statement

    Peskov says 'indivisible security' is a cornerstone of Russia's position and that guarantees can only be mutual.

Scenarios

1

US and Russia announce a framework Europe refuses to sign

Possible Resolves by Jan 31, 2027

Discussed by: European officials and analysts quoted by Euronews, CNN and bne IntelliNews

Washington and Moscow converge on a broad security outline at or after the Abu Dhabi round. European capitals reject it as an attempt to renegotiate NATO's open-door policy and the continent's existing treaties. The deal exists on paper but has no European signatories, leaving implementation in doubt.

2

Europe and Ukraine win a seat, and the deal goes multilateral

Possible Resolves by Q1 2027

Discussed by: Kushner's public statements and EU officials

Kushner has said Washington would consult European allies on the sidelines in Abu Dhabi and move to a broader multilateral format if progress is made. If that happens, the framework would require European and Ukrainian sign-off, changing its terms and slowing it down.

3

Abu Dhabi talks stall and the war grinds on

Likely Resolves by Jan 31, 2027

Discussed by: CNN analysis and European diplomats

The gap between Ukraine's demand for credible guarantees and Moscow's demand for limits on NATO proves too wide. The Abu Dhabi round ends without a joint statement, sanctions and fighting continue, and the security-architecture question is deferred.

Historical Context

3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

December 1994

Budapest Memorandum (1994)

Ukraine gave up the world's third-largest nuclear arsenal in exchange for assurances from Russia, the United States and Britain that its borders and sovereignty would be respected.

Then

The memorandum was not a binding defense treaty and was never submitted for ratification as one.

Now

Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea and 2022 invasion exposed the limits of the assurances, shaping Kyiv's demand for enforceable guarantees today.

Why this matters now

Ukraine's insistence on credible guarantees, rather than another round of political assurances, comes directly from this experience.

May 1997

NATO-Russia Founding Act (1997)

NATO and Russia agreed to cooperate and stated that the alliance would not permanently station substantial combat forces in new member states.

Then

The act eased tensions as NATO prepared to admit Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic.

Now

Russia later cited the act as a baseline and demanded a return to 1997 force levels, a demand NATO rejected.

Why this matters now

Moscow's push to roll NATO back to 1997 levels is the core territorial demand in the current talks.

September 1938

Munich Agreement (1938)

Britain, France, Germany and Italy agreed to let Germany annex Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland. Czechoslovak representatives were not in the room.

Then

The agreement was presented as a path to peace; Germany violated it within months.

Now

It became the standard example of a great-power settlement made without the state whose territory was at stake.

Why this matters now

Sikorski's warning that a deal 'above our heads' is impossible echoes the objection to settlements reached without the affected country.

Sources

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Euronews POLITICO CNN Kyiv Post bne IntelliNews Le Temps Atlantic Council Kyiv Post