European leaders warn Zelensky that the US may "betray" Ukraine: "They are playing with us"

BarcelonaEuropean leaders are increasingly nervous about US mediation in negotiations for a peace agreement in Ukraine and have warned Volodymyr Zelensky that the talks in the coming days are very delicate. The German newspaper Der Spiegel The newspaper has obtained a recording of a call between the Ukrainian president and several European leaders, in which French President Emmanuel Macron warned of "the possibility that the US will betray Ukraine regarding territory, without clarity on security guarantees." The newspaper explained that it obtained an English-language transcript summarizing the call, which it claims are direct quotes from some of the participants. Macron also considered the current situation "a great danger" for Zelensky, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz advised the Ukrainian president to proceed "very carefully." "They are playing games with you as much as with us," he said, likely referring to the two US negotiators, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Donald Trump's son-in-law. Der Spiegel, Other leaders also participated in the call, such as Finland's Alexander Stubb, who said, "We cannot leave Ukraine and Volodymyr alone with these individuals." Even NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte agreed that "Volodymyr must be protected," although in public he is usually a great admirer of Trump.

The German media outlet has claimed to have spoken with "several" participants in the call, who confirmed that it took place, and two of them said that the quotes were reproduced "accurately," although the Élysée Palace has denied the quotes attributed to Macron.

This climate of anxiety among Kyiv's European partners comes at a time when talks have been revived about a supposed peace plan promoted by the Trump administration. And especially after Witkoff and Kushner met for five hours on Tuesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin. One of the main concerns among the Europeans and Kyiv is the Russian demands regarding the cession of Ukrainian territory.

This Thursday, before traveling to IndiaPutin insisted on this point, stressing that Russia would take full control of Donbas by force if the Ukrainian army did not withdraw: "Either we liberate these territories by force of arms, or the Ukrainian troops leave these territories."

Negotiations in Miami

While Witkoff and Kushner traveled to Moscow to meet with Putin, the Ukrainian negotiators, led by Rustem Umerov, had to travel to Miami for the same purpose. According to Ukrainian media outlets, such as the Kyiv Post, Zelenskyy was scheduled to meet with Trump's envoys in Brussels on Thursday, but the two Americans ultimately returned to the United States without meeting with the Ukrainian president, who had also offered to meet with them in Kyiv. Umerov and the rest of the Ukrainian delegation met in Brussels on Wednesday with the national security advisors of their main European allies, and the following day they flew to Miami.