As Washington and Moscow negotiate Ukraine’s future, European security advisers scramble to avoid being left out of the deal.
Top European officials rushed to Washington as the United States and Russia move closer to a potential ceasefire in Ukraine.
Germany’s national security adviser, Jens Plötner, traveled to Washington on Friday for urgent talks alongside his British counterpart, Jonathan Powell, and French President Emmanuel Macron’s diplomatic adviser, Emmanuel Bonne. The three met with U.S. National Security Adviser Mike Waltz at the White House.
The hastily arranged trip comes amid intensifying negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. Earlier this week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. officials agreed on the framework for a 30-day ceasefire after talks in Saudi Arabia, effectively putting the ball in Moscow’s court.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, met directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday. Trump described the talks as “good and productive” on his Truth Social platform.
Both Europe and Ukraine have expressed fears of being sidelined in a diplomatic process that could shape the region’s future as the United States as it engages direct talks with the Kremlin.
Hans Joachim Von Der Burchard and Tim Ross contributed to this report.
