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news analysis
Initially cut out of development of the 28-point peace plan, European leaders are now trying to recast its pro-Russia slant. So far, it seems to be working.
Nov. 25, 2025Updated 5:50 a.m. ET
For Europe’s leaders, the weekend began with another threat to their relevance, courtesy of President Trump. Would the Americans really force Ukraine to capitulate, embrace President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia and undermine NATO — all without even bothering to consult with them?
By Tuesday, the latest diplomatic emergency seemed to have been averted for the moment, if hardly resolved, thanks to a how-to-handle-Trump playbook that European leaders have honed over a year of similar episodes.
The Europeans — led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain, President Emmanuel Macron of France and Chancellor Friedrich Merz of Germany — resisted the urge to lash out at Mr. Trump’s 28-point peace plan despite its pro-Russia tilt. Instead, they embraced the plan publicly to keep the president happy, even as they insisted that it was only a starting point for discussions.
The goal was to slow the process and eliminate some of the provisions they saw as crossing Europe’s red lines: Russian seizure of broad swaths of Ukrainian territory, a ban on Ukraine’s membership in NATO, a limit on the size of Ukraine’s military and a refusal to allow European troops on the ground in Ukraine.
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The flurry of behind-the-scenes diplomacy appeared to have given the abrupt peace effort some momentum by the end of the weekend.
