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news analysis
Leaders on the continent are trying to show the U.S. president that they are serious about laying the groundwork to end the war — and that President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia is not.
Sept. 5, 2025, 12:01 a.m. ET
European leaders praised President Trump for his efforts to quickly broker a peace deal to end the war in Ukraine last month. But they also expressed skepticism that he could succeed on the accelerated timeline he envisioned after meeting President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia in Alaska.
As prospect of immediate talks has dimmed, they have instead turned their energy toward keeping Mr. Trump engaged, and more or less on their side.
That strategy, expressed both in public comments and private briefings, is simple enough: try to show Mr. Trump that Europe is willing to do the hard work of preparing for a postwar future in Ukraine — and that Mr. Putin is not.
That’s why European leaders joined, in person and virtually, a gathering in Paris on Thursday for a new round of talks seeking to piece together a plan to protect Ukraine from another invasion once the war ends. And it is why they continue to tell Mr. Trump that it is Mr. Putin’s fault the war has not ended yet, because the Russian leader has not followed through on his promises of serious negotiations.
“The Europeans are prepared to make a decisive contribution to strong security guarantees for Ukraine after a negotiated solution,” a German government spokesman, Stefan Kornelius, proclaimed after the meeting.
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