European leaders gossip about US amid apparent efforts to torpedo Trump’s Russia-Ukraine peace deal: Report

President Donald Trump and members of his administration have worked doggedly over the past year to broker a lasting peace between Russia and Ukraine.

While there have been multiple instances when an end to the bloodshed appeared within reach, Presidents Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin have both repeatedly thrown up obstacles to sealing the deal — in most cases over proposals regarding territorial concessions and security guarantees for Kyiv.

There are, however, others actors in the mix who appear content to stymie the U.S.-mediated peace negotiations.

English-language notes allegedly detailing a conference call held on Monday between Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, and numerous other EU leaders revealed the extent of the contempt and distrust some European leaders have for the United States as it relates to Washington’s role in the peace talks.

According to the notes that were leaked to the German publication Der Spiegel, Macron suggested that there was a chance that the U.S. — a nation that has kept Ukraine viable with the help of hundreds of billions of dollars and top-notch armaments as well as by sanctioning its foe — might “betray” Ukraine.

“There is a chance that the U.S. will betray Ukraine on territory without clarity on security guarantees,” Macron reportedly said, adding that the territorial matter presents “a big danger” for Zelenskyy.

Macron was among the EU leaders who rejected Trump’s original 28-point peace plan last month and echoed an old complaint that certain proposals would require EU consent. His office has claimed that he “did not express himself in these words” as described in the notes but did not indicate how he had expressed himself.

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Photographer: Nathan Laine/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Merz, whose nation is set to pass a new conscription scheme, reportedly said that Zelenskyy must be “very careful” in the talks ahead, noting that “they are playing games with both you and us.” Der Spiegel indicated that the “they” Merz referred to was likely Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, who have been working on the peace negotiations.

Alexander Stubb — the Finnish president who complained in a recent interview that “all the conditions for a just peace we’ve talked so much about over the past four years are unlikely to be fulfilled” — reportedly said on the conference call, “We must not leave Ukraine and Volodymyr alone with these guys,” again apparently referring to the U.S. representatives.

The notes for the call, which several participants confirmed to Der Spiegel had taken place, indicate that Rutte agreed, stating, “I agree with Alexander that we need to protect Volodymyr.”

While a spokesperson for Zelenskyy told Der Spiegel he did not want to comment on the content of the call, the Ukrainian president said in a statement on Thursday, “Ukraine is prepared for any possible developments, and of course we will work as constructively as possible with all partners to ensure that peace is achieved — and that it is, after all, a dignified peace. Only a dignified peace provides real security, and we fully understand that this requires — and will continue to require — the support of our partners.”

“Secretary Rubio, Special Envoy Witkoff, Mr. Kushner, and the president’s entire national security team are working tirelessly to stop the killing between Russia and Ukraine,” White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly told Blaze News in a statement. “They have held productive meetings to gather feedback from both sides on a plan that can foster a durable, enforceable peace. As President Trump has said, ‘It takes two to tango’ in order to bring the war to a close — but as the NATO secretary-general said himself, only President Trump is capable of brokering a deal to end this conflict that was brought on by Joe Biden’s incompetence.”

On Tuesday, Putin suggested European leaders were undermining the peace process, stating, “They don’t have a peace agenda; they’re on the side of the war,” reported the Associated Press.

The Russian president further accused the Europeans of introducing “demands that are absolutely unacceptable to Russia,” thereby “blocking the entire peace process.”

Editor’s note: This article has been edited after publication to include comment from the White House.

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