This photo taken on Aug. 15, 2024 shows a Ukrainian tank destroyed during Russian attacks in Toretsk. [Photo/Xinhua]

The European Union (EU) and several European leaders have insisted on playing a key role in potential Ukraine peace negotiations, voicing concerns about being sidelined after U.S. President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, held a phone talk on Wednesday.

According to press release from both the White House and the Kremlin, the two leaders discussed a swift ceasefire in Ukraine without consulting the EU or Ukraine. In response, the EU officially demanded a seat at the negotiating table.

"Ukraine's security is Europe's security," Paula Pinho, chief spokesperson of the European Commission, said during a press briefing on Thursday. "If there is a discussion about Ukraine's security, Europe is concerned. If there's a discussion about Europe's security, it also involves Ukraine," she stressed.

EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas reinforced this stance, sharing a joint statement from a meeting in Paris with her counterparts of France, Germany, Poland, Spain and Britain. The statement insisted on Ukraine's and Europe's participation in any relevant negotiations, highlighting the need for a peace that secures both European and Ukrainian interests while expressing willingness to engage with the United States.

Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo also emphasized the necessity of Europe's involvement in any Ukraine peace process. "Ukraine cannot be agreed upon without Ukraine, and European security cannot be agreed without Europe," he stated, urging for a unified European stand and proposing an extraordinary EU Summit on the matter.

Following his call with Putin, Trump called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, but when speaking to the U.S. press, he excluded Ukraine's return to its pre-2014 borders -- Kiev's key precondition for talks with Moscow. Trump also voiced support for U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's declaration in Brussels that Ukraine's membership of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) would be off the table as part of a negotiated settlement to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Trump's stance, a stark departure from his predecessor's policy, was perceived in Europe as a concession at Ukraine's expense, sparking alarms among European leaders.

"A dictated peace will never find our support," German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in a statement on Thursday, stressing that any peace agreement must ensure Ukraine's sovereignty and endure over time. He emphasized that Germany and its partners must represent their interests confidently and committedly in the upcoming negotiations.

Germany's Defense Minister Boris Pistorius criticized the Trump administration's public concessions before negotiations even began, calling them "regrettable" during a NATO defense ministers' meeting in Brussels.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, following a phone call with Zelensky on Thursday, unscored that any peace talks must guarantee Ukraine's independence, territorial integrity and the right to decide its own future. He called for Europe to participate in the talks with "strength" and urged decisive action on military support for Ukraine.

President of Latvia Edgars Rinkevics echoed the concerns, stating on X: "Borders must not be changed by force. Europe must take full responsibility for its security by investing in its own defense. Ukraine, U.S. and EU must work together to achieve durable peace."

While foreign ministers of Latvia and Estonia also called for more investment in building on Europe's defence capabilities, and meanwhile strengthening NATO and transatlantic relations, Slovak Premier Robert Fico took a more skeptical stance. He described the push for increased military investment as "military madness" and criticized the EU's lack of an independent foreign policy.

The EU is the second loser after Ukraine, he stated, arguing that Europe must "sober up quickly" and formulate its own stance. He predicted that Trump would roll back U.S. support for Ukraine, pressure Europe to purchase more American energy, and demand NATO allies raise defense spending to 5 percent of GDP.

While some European leaders voiced alarm, others cautiously welcomed the prospect of a peace talk to end the conflict on the continent.

Milorad Dodik, the president of Republika Srpska in BiH, praised U.S.-Russia discussions as a step toward peace. "Talks are the only means" to end the conflict while respecting the legitimate interests of both Russia and Ukraine, he said.

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, speaking ahead of the 61st Munich Security Conference, stressed that not just any peace would suffice.

"The solution is one that respects the fundamental principles of international law, which are the territorial integrity and integrity of Ukraine, because every negative precedent will have its repercussions, without any dilemmas, later," he stressed.

As Europe grapples with Trump's evolving stance on the war, the debate over the continent's role in shaping peace continues to intensify.

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