In a recent statement, former US envoy Keith Kellogg revealed that Europe will be consulted but ultimately excluded from the upcoming peace talks between Russia, the United States, and Ukraine. Kellogg, a member of the “school of realism,” emphasized that Europe would not be part of the table discussions.
He advised European leaders to engage in the debate by offering concrete proposals and ideas, rather than focusing on whether or not they will have a seat at the negotiation table. Kellogg’s remarks may cause concern among some European leaders who believe that their security is inherently linked to Ukraine’s fate. Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski, for instance, pointed out that French President Emmanuel Macron had invited European leaders to Paris to discuss the situation.
Kellogg suggested that past peace talks between Ukraine and Russia failed due to the involvement of too many countries without the capacity to execute any meaningful process. He affirmed that this would not be the approach taken in the current negotiations.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in his speech at the Munich Security Conference, had previously warned that Europe was likely to be sidelined in future peace negotiations, urging Europe to step up and form a European army with Ukraine playing a central role.
