Germany, France and UK developing own format for Ukraine talks

Germany, France and the United Kingdom are developing their own format for negotiations aimed at ending the war between Russia and Ukraine, The New York Times reported, citing European officials.

According to the sources, the three countries are concerned that US President Donald Trump could exclude them from any talks on ending the war. As a result, they have decided to join forces to secure a seat for Europe at the negotiating table.

European diplomats are shaping a future negotiation format in which France, Germany and the UK would represent European interests. Sources said France and Germany are taking the lead in forming the European position, while the UK — under a new prime minister — remains notably hesitant, partly out of concern about damaging its relationship with Trump.

Europe seeks a say in the process

Europeans expect that any negotiations with Russia over Ukraine will ultimately be led by the United States. Still, as Russia escalates missile strikes on Ukrainian territory, they are pressing Trump and his envoys to restart dialogue with Moscow.

European officials stressed that resolving the Ukraine crisis and managing relations with Russia are too significant to leave indefinitely in the hands of an increasingly unpredictable Trump administration. They want to prevent Washington and Moscow from striking a deal without European input.

Three European officials said the UK, France and Germany should be the main participants representing Ukraine's supporters in negotiations. These three nations, known as the 'EU three,' form the core of the Coalition of the Willing backing Ukraine and have already drafted options for military and security guarantees for the country once an agreement is reached.

Earlier reports indicated that former senior officials from the UK, France, Germany and Russia met in Vienna last month to discuss possible conditions for peace talks. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev also previously said that former senior German and Russian officials had met in Baku in July.