France, Germany, UK prepare their own format for Ukraine peace talks

France, Germany and the United Kingdom are working on their own format for negotiations on Ukraine, fearing that the US could leave Europe out of key agreements, according to The New York Times.

According to five European officials, the three countries have joined forces to ensure Europe has a seat at the negotiating table.

Two senior European diplomats and one senior European official said France and Germany are playing a leading role in shaping a common European position.

The United Kingdom is acting more cautiously, in part because of concerns about damaging relations with US President Donald Trump.

At the same time, European diplomats emphasize that relations with Russia and resolving the war in Ukraine have a direct impact on Europe's security. Therefore, they want to ensure that Washington and Moscow do not reach any agreement without European allies being informed.

There are currently few signs that Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready for serious negotiations, according to The New York Times. European officials expect that if a diplomatic process begins, the US will play the leading role in negotiations with Moscow.