Former NATO Chief Urges Europe to Secure a Role in Ukraine Talks

Former NATO chief: “It is time for Europe to stop ‘begging’ for a seat at the negotiating table on Ukraine”

Europe should not be asking for a seat at the peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, but should prove that it is impossible to reach an agreement on the continent’s future security without it. This was stated by former NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen in an interview with Euronews during the trilateral talks between Russia, Ukraine and the US in Abu Dhabi.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen

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“Europe is already in a weak position and is effectively begging for a seat at the negotiating table. Instead, it should offer its own resources and make itself an indispensable participant in the process. I hope that Europe will finally wake up now,” Rasmussen said.

European representatives from the European Union, NATO, the UK, Germany, Italy and France have also arrived in the UAE, but are taking part only in separate consultations, rather than in the main trilateral meeting. Yet the future security architecture in Europe depends to a large extent on the outcome of these talks.

Rasmussen warned that Europe needs to take its own security more seriously and not rely solely on Washington’s support. According to him, the actions of US President Donald Trump show that Europeans can no longer take American support for granted.

“We have seen how US President Donald Trump has chosen Moscow and sided with Putin. This is a situation we must take seriously. If Europe does not wake up, we will, as if in a dream, enter an era of constant war on the European continent,” said the former NATO chief.

He also criticised the lack of coordination among European countries in their relations with Moscow. This followed a telephone conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gar Støre and Finnish President Alexander Stubb, which drew criticism from Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. She stated that the initiative had not been agreed with other European leaders.

Rasmussen believes that dialogue with Russia is necessary, but such contacts must be coordinated with partners. At the same time, Europe cannot act as a neutral mediator, as it supports Ukraine.

The European Union must rely on its own strength

The former NATO Secretary-General also backed the demand by Eastern European countries to be involved in discussions on the terms of peace. Earlier, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski stated that the states in this region should have a say, as they are particularly vulnerable to the consequences of Russia’s war against Ukraine.

“We should have listened to the Eastern Europeans,” Rasmussen emphasised.

He also sharply criticised the US for delaying approval of missile deliveries to Ukraine for the Patriot and NASAMS air defence systems. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had previously reported that Kyiv had been waiting for nearly a month for US approval of the deliveries.

Rasmussen described the delay as disastrous for Ukraine’s defence and linked it to the need to strengthen Europe’s military autonomy.

“I am extremely disappointed that the Americans have not delivered what they promised. I am not going to speculate on the reasons for the delay, but it demonstrates once again why Europe must be capable of ensuring its own security,” he said.

It should be noted that Rasmussen led NATO from 2009 to 2014. Prior to that, from 2001 to 2009, he served as Prime Minister of Denmark.

This story was translated with the assistance of artificial intelligence.The translation was also reviewed by the Logos Press editorial team.

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