European leaders are calling for the appointment of a special envoy for Ukraine after the Trump administration announced Europe would be excluded from upcoming peace negotiations. Finnish President Alexander Stubb proposed at the Munich Security Conference that Europe needs 'to do something similar that was done in Kosovo,' suggesting the appointment of a special envoy to ensure European involvement in the peace process.

The push for European representation comes after Trump's Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg stated that Europe would not have a seat at the table for Ukraine peace talks, though their views would be considered. This development has emerged alongside news that U.S. and Russian officials are planning to meet in Saudi Arabia to begin discussions aimed at ending the war.

The situation has created a sense of dismay among European delegates, particularly given recent U.S. policy shifts. New U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's statement at NATO headquarters indicated that a peace deal would not include NATO membership for Ukraine, and suggested it was unrealistic for Ukraine to return to its pre-2014 borders.

In response to these developments, French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to host an emergency gathering of European leaders, including Britain, to discuss immediate aid for Ukraine and Europe's role in providing security guarantees for Kyiv.

The situation has prompted European leaders to declare the need for greater responsibility for their own defense, including increased military spending and arms production. However, despite similar statements during Trump's first term and following Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, concrete plans for organizing and funding such efforts remain unclear.

Some European officials have expressed concern about the broader implications for the transatlantic alliance, with one European diplomat stating, It is clear now that the U.S. wants to break the post-World War Two order that they created. And that includes destroying the EU. We will have to be prepared for that and change our attitude completely.