France, Germany, and the United Kingdom have started shaping a European negotiation format for the Russia-Ukraine war, worried that President Donald Trump may cut them out of any future peace talks.
Five European officials confirmed the effort to The New York Times. Their goal: guarantee Europe holds a seat when Washington and Moscow eventually discuss ending the conflict.
The fear runs deep. European leaders see Trump’s approach to Russia growing more unpredictable by the week. They refuse to let a settlement affecting European security get decided without their input. As a result, France and Germany now lead the push to lock in a common European position.
The UK has moved more cautiously. British officials, adapting to a new prime minister, hesitate to strain relations with Trump this early.
Meanwhile, few signs point to Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin taking negotiations seriously. Russia continues missile strikes on Ukrainian civilians. European diplomats expect any real talks to start with the United States at the helm, yet they insist Trump and his envoys resume cooperation with Moscow on terms that protect Europe.
Officials from the three countries believe they should serve as primary negotiators backing Ukraine. Known as the E3, they anchor the “coalition of the willing” supporting Kyiv and have drafted options for military and security guarantees after a settlement.
Poland, Italy, and Nordic nations should also get consulted, officials said. Some border states, notably the Baltics and Hungary, distrust Germany and France to fully represent their interests.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has pushed for Europe’s presence. He met UK, French, and German leaders in London on June 7 to define Europe’s role. Four days later, ambassadors from those three countries held an unusual meeting in Moscow with deputy foreign minister Mikhail Galuzin.
The Kremlin dismissed the outreach. Galuzin accused the three nations of pushing Ukraine to keep fighting.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas acknowledged Zelenskyy’s appeal and said the three countries respect “fundamental European security interests,” including sanctions relief and unfreezing Russian assets.
EU Council President António Costa opened a separate channel with Moscow through his chief of staff, Pedro Lourtie, who contacted Russian envoy Yuri Ushakov. Costa defended the move: “We cannot rely solely on others to interpret Russian messages.” But he admitted Moscow showed no “convincing signs” of serious intent.
Former German diplomat Hans-Dieter Lucas warned Europe must not repeat November 2025, when Trump and envoy Steve Witkoff crafted a 28-point peace plan without European input. “The Europeans have cards,” he said, “but we need to play them wisely.”
