Politico: Europe is alarmed by Putin's conversation with Trump

The first official conversation between US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin was a moment that Europeans and Ukrainians have been "afraid of for months, if not years," writes Politico. European officials have not received advance notification of Trump's conversation with Putin, Bloomberg reports, citing one of the officials. Other interlocutors of the agency from among the officials The EU called it a "betrayal", worried that the US would make concessions to Russia.

Politico notes that the EU's relations with the new US administration are "so bad that they practically do not exist." European diplomats "did not seem to know how to react" to statements by Trump and Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth about the "unrealistic" return of Ukraine to the borders before 2014 and its accession to NATO, Politico said.

The foreign ministers of France, Germany, Poland, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom then spoke in support of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. The head of European diplomacy, Kaya Kallas, wrote on the social network X that "Europe should play a central role in any negotiations."

"The independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine are unconditional. Our priority now should be to strengthen Ukraine and provide reliable security guarantees," she stressed.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Berbock told reporters: "Peace can only be achieved together. And this means: with Ukraine and with the Europeans."

Hegseth stated that it was impossible to return to the borders that existed before 2014 and that Ukraine's accession to NATO was "unrealistic" at a meeting of the contact group on Ukraine in Brussels on February 12, calling the latter an "illusory goal." Trump supported his position, assuming that Ukraine will be able to regain the lost territories over time.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, commenting on Hegseth's statement, said that Kiev's position on joining NATO remains unchanged.

On February 12, the US president spoke by phone first with Putin, and then with Vladimir Zelensky, after which he stated that both leaders want peace. According to the Republican, they agreed with Putin on the "immediate start of negotiations." Trump said he could meet with Putin in Saudi Arabia.

Putin in the conversation "mentioned the need to eliminate the root causes" of the conflict, and also "supported one of the main theses of the head of the American state that the time has come for our countries to work together," the Kremlin said.

Zelensky, after a conversation with Trump, said that Ukraine "wants peace more than anyone" and supported the words of the Republican let's get it done ("let's do it"). The head of the office of the Ukrainian president, Andriy Yermak, said that after the conversation between Trump and Zelensky, he said that the parties "agreed to start the work of the teams on the issues of a fair conclusion" of the conflict, RBC reminds.