European leaders warn against Ukraine ceasefire without Russian peace deal

European leaders have expressed their readiness to provide Ukraine with security guarantees and cautioned against agreeing to a ceasefire without a formal peace agreement with Russia, officials said.

The commitment was made during a high-level meeting in Paris on February 17, convened by French President Emmanuel Macron in response to US President Donald Trump’s exclusion of European allies and Ukrainian leadership from upcoming negotiations in Saudi Arabia with Russia over a potential end to the war, Caliber.Az reports referring to international media outlets.

“Ready and willing. That’s my take from today’s meeting in Paris. Europe is ready and willing to step up — to lead in providing security guarantees for Ukraine,” NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said in a social media post following the emergency talks.

“The details will need to be decided, but the commitment is clear,” he added.

A European Union official confirmed that leaders were prepared to provide security guarantees, with the specific terms to be determined based on American support.

“We agree with President Trump on a ‘peace through strength’ approach,” the official said, summarizing the meeting’s outcome. “But we believe it is dangerous to conclude a ceasefire without a peace agreement at the same time.”

Ukraine rejects fragile ceasefire

Following the discussions, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed that he had spoken with Macron regarding the security commitments. He warned that a weak ceasefire would only pave the way for further Russian aggression.

“We share a common vision: security guarantees must be robust and reliable,” Zelenskyy stated on social media.

“Any other decision without such guarantees — such as a fragile ceasefire — would only serve as another deception by Russia and a prelude to a new Russian war against Ukraine or other European nations.”

US-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia

Meanwhile, reports indicate that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff are in Saudi Arabia for discussions with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov on February 18.

Upon arriving in Riyadh, Ushakov clarified that the negotiations would be strictly bilateral, excluding Ukraine and European nations.

“We came to negotiate with American colleagues,” Ushakov told Russian media. “These are bilateral talks, purely bilateral. There can be no trilateral talks in Riyadh.”

European leaders unite in Paris

The Paris meeting at the Élysée Palace gathered key European figures, including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. Also present were Dutch Premier Dick Schoof, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, NATO’s Mark Rutte, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and European Council President Antonio Costa.

The emergency talks followed recent US statements on Ukraine that have unsettled transatlantic relations, fueling concerns that Washington might pivot toward engagement with the Kremlin while sidelining European allies.

By Tamilla Hasanova