In today’s geopolitical landscape, where not only the fate of a single state but also the stability of the entire continent is at stake, leading European countries have clearly outlined red lines. One of them is to prevent any attempts to exclude Ukraine from the negotiation process regarding the end of the war being waged against it by the Russian Federation.
This position was clearly stated by the foreign ministers of the United Kingdom, France, and Germany during a meeting of the foreign ministers of 32 NATO member countries on April 4 in Brussels. The heads of diplomacy of these three key European states noted that Moscow is not interested in a genuine ceasefire, deliberately prolongs the process, and blocks the international community’s — particularly the United States’ — efforts to achieve a fair peace in Ukraine.
European diplomats unequivocally stated: peace talks without Ukraine are not peace, but a fiction that only plays into the hands of the Kremlin. Such attempts to exclude Kyiv or diminish its role in the process are merely a continuation of aggression by other means, a pressure tool aimed at weakening the victim’s position instead of holding the aggressor accountable.
The statements by the British, French, and German ministers leave no room for ambiguity. All three confirmed their unwavering support for Ukraine both in military and economic terms. At the same time, they stressed the need to strengthen sanctions pressure on Russia. As the diplomats noted, sanctions are a tool that should force Moscow to come to the negotiating table not with another ultimatum but with a genuine willingness to seek a way to end the war.
Europe has long recognized that without an independent, strong Ukraine involved in the negotiation process, there can be no peace or stability in the region. This approach is based not only on moral principles but also on cold strategic calculation: any appeasement of the aggressor without considering the position of the victim sets a precedent for new conflicts.
Against the backdrop of this transparent European consensus, the narratives of Russian propaganda about “negotiations without Ukraine” seem particularly cynical. In reality, all respected international partners stand firmly on the position: there will be no decisions about Ukraine without Ukraine.
Today, Kyiv has not only the moral but also the legal right to be a central participant in any negotiation process. And the leading European countries — as the foundation of the democratic world — are the guarantee that this right will not be devalued.
