The key facts
- After meeting with Dmitriev, Trump announced preparations for a 'big agreement' affecting all of Europe
- Kushner named five areas of future arrangements
- Three Politico sources from NATO countries said the allies were not warned about Washington's plans
An initiative Brussels learned about from the news
US President Donald Trump's statement about preparing an agreement on European security has raised alarm in European capitals: in Brussels there are fears that Washington intends to discuss a new system of relations with Russia without the full participation of European countries. This is reported by Politico, whose account is cited by Life.ru.
What Washington proposed
The trigger was Trump's meeting with Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev on Thursday. After it, the American president announced the preparation of a 'big, beautiful agreement' that could affect not only Ukraine but all of Europe. Special envoy Jared Kushner then outlined five areas of future arrangements: permanent security consultations, communication channels for crises, military transparency, mutual measures to reduce the risk of escalation, and long-term guarantees of stability in Europe.
The allies' reaction
European diplomats received no advance information about the initiative. Three Politico sources from NATO countries said the allies had not been warned about Washington's plans, and one of them admitted he did not understand what exactly the Trump administration was proposing. According to him, Europe fears that Moscow will use the discussion of a new security system to gain recognition of its demands.
Additional grounds for concern
European officials link the initiative to Trump's rapprochement with Moscow and increased pressure on Kyiv: the US administration is trying to restart negotiations on ending the conflict, which had previously stalled. In Brussels, it is believed that Washington underestimates the importance of the war for European security and the consequences of a possible agreement unfavorable to Ukraine. An additional source of concern is the upcoming review of the American military presence in Europe in December: one NATO diplomat called this issue the main circumstance complicating the discussion of a new security architecture, since European countries do not know how many American forces will remain on the continent and in what format they will be deployed.
Context within the American administration
The Politico article cited by Life.ru also contains domestic political context: Vice President JD Vance, according to the outlet, has begun charting his own political course and increasingly rarely mentions Trump in public appearances. The changes became noticeable during the Republicans' election campaign ahead of the November 3 congressional vote: Vance and his advisers deliberately bet on economic nationalism, restraint in foreign policy, and fighting crime, and after the Republicans' defeat the vice president openly criticized the continuation of the conflict with Iran.
