Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for the creation of a European army to defend the continent against Russian aggression and warned that Russia was not preparing for credible peace talks to end the war in Ukraine.

Reeling from shocks delivered by the Trump administration last week, European leaders held emergency talks in Paris on Monday as US and Russian officials prepare to meet in Saudi Arabia to discuss ending the war in Ukraine – without European or Ukrainian involvement.

The United States appears set to abandon European security as a priority. That has left Europe scrambling to find new ways to protect the continent.

Critics blasted President Donald Trump after he followed up a proposed Ukrainian "peace plan" — that essentially gives Russia one-sided concessions for nothing — with a speech from his private residence in Palm Beach in which he scolded Ukraine for starting the conflict.

After pledging for months to swiftly end Russia’s war in Ukraine, U.S. President Donald Trump has started to take first steps toward peace negotiations this week. After holding a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Feb.

President Donald Trump tapped Marco Rubio, John Ratcliffe, Michael Waltz and Steve Witkoff to lead Russia-Ukraine negotiations.