Key Points and Summary – President Donald Trump has signaled a sharp break with Europe over how the war in Ukraine should end.
-After what he described as a tense call with Britain’s Keir Starmer, France’s Emmanuel Macron, and Germany’s Friedrich Merz, Trump dismissed a planned EU meeting on Ukraine as a possible “waste of time” and demanded clearer answers before traveling.
President Donald Trump signs an Executive Order alongside Kid Rock in the Oval Office, Monday, March 31, 2025. (Official White House Photo by Molly Riley)
-While Kyiv has tabled a revised 20-point peace framework, Washington is eyeing territorial concessions and a rapid deal. European leaders warn against forcing President Zelensky into an “ugly peace” that could leave Russia stronger and NATO exposed just as U.S.–European ties fray.
Trump Blasts EU Meeting on Ukraine ‘Waste of Time’
U.S. President Donald Trump revealed that his latest call with Europe’s three most powerful leaders featured “pretty strong words” on Ukraine.
Speaking at the White House after talking to British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Trump said there were “little disputes about people” and warned he would not “waste time” on a proposed meeting in Europe this weekend unless he first receives satisfactory answers from allies.
The European leaders he chatted with have described the moment as “critical” for Ukraine and Western security, pushing for Washington to continue its support.
Behind the sharp language lies a substantive clash over what form of peace is acceptable. Kyiv has already forwarded a revised 20-point framework to Washington.
Their proposals include security guarantees and a reconstruction blueprint. Starmer and co have also sent their own paper to Trump, spelling out what territorial concessions they believe Ukraine could feasibly contemplate.
Still, Merz publicly warned that it would be a “mistake” to force President Volodymyr Zelensky into a deal his people would not accept after four years of full-scale war. Indeed, drafts of the Washington-led peace deal mandate that Ukraine cede valuable territory in its East, including parts that Russia has failed to occupy.
Trump is obviously impatient to deliver on a peace deal, especially after promising to end the war “in 24 hours” throughout his election campaign.
The US President has questioned when Ukraine will next hold elections, suggested Zelensky “has to be realistic,” and repeatedly floated the idea that sometimes “you have to let people fight it out.” Washington has already tightened the tap on military aid unless Europeans contribute more.
The Trump Administration’s new national security strategy also paints Europe as economically “decaying” and in need of a strategic reset with Russia.
The Kremlin, naturally sensing opportunity, has welcomed reports of U.S. ideas to restore Russian energy flows and unlock frozen assets as part of a settlement, casting itself as open for business while insisting on sweeping “security guarantees” that would also cover Russia.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says “misunderstandings” with Washington are being ironed out, even as Russian forces push on the battlefield around Pokrovsk in Eastern Ukraine and launch deadly drone and missile strikes at Ukraine’s power grid.
For Ukraine and many of its European allies, the fear is that a rushed compromise could leave Russia in a decent position to expand its aggression in future, leaving NATO exposed as ties with the US cool.
The coming days, which will include an urgent “Coalition of the Willing” video call convened by Zelensky, may show whether Trump and his European counterparts can narrow their differences, or whether those “strong words” are likely to act in Moscow’s favor.
About the Author: Georgia Gilholy
Georgia Gilholy is a journalist based in the United Kingdom who has been published in Newsweek, The Times of Israel, and the Spectator. Gilholy writes about international politics, culture, and education. You can follow her on X: @llggeorgia.