US-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia fuel diplomatic tension as Munich conference closes

European leaders sought assurances on Sunday as US and Russian officials were set to meet in Saudi Arabia within days to start talks on ending the three-year war in Ukraine.

After a disruptive contribution from senior members of US President Donald Trump’s administration, the Munich Security Conference (MSC) ended with warnings the Europeans had no seat at the table with Washington.

Christoph Heusgen, the outgoing chairman, broke down in tears as he said he feared Europe's “common value base” was not so common any more. “The order is easy to disrupt. It is easy to destroy but its much harder to rebuild,” Mr Heusgen said.

He welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron's decision to summon an emergency meeting of the European heads of government in Paris on Monday and said foreign ministers had held urgent talks in Munich that morning to discuss the transatlantic crisis.

Benedikt Franke, the CEO of MSC, told The National that there was no sign of a constructive attitude in the Kremlin that would support a thaw in European relations. Ukrainian President Vlodomyr Zelenskyy had worked hard in Munich to galvanise support from around the bloc under the shadow of Washington’s pivot to talks under Mr Trump.

The newly elected president and the Russian leader held a phone call earlier this week where it was decided to hold direct talks in Saudi Arabia.

“[Zelenskyy] is doing everything he can to gather support and counter fears that there will be a peace deal done over the heads of the Ukrainians and without the inclusions of Europeans,” Mr Franke said. “I keep seeing European leaders standing together in the hallways here and reassessing their support to Ukraine – is there anything that else that we can do?

“Maybe the news that we've heard just before the conference kicked off may have been a wake up call.”

Finland’s President Alexander Stubb called on the EU to establish a special envoy to speak with one voice on the talks, adding that there may positives from the situation. “Don't underestimate Trump as a negotiator. I genuinely believe that Putin is baffled and afraid what might becoming from here on.

“We need to convince the Americans where is the value added [including the EU) and then get back into the table.”

The baseline for Europe was that Ukraine must retain the option of maintaining its frontline against the Russian invasion, said Andrej Plenkovic, the Prime Minister of Croatia. “I think the messages of President Zelenskyy and all the other Ukrainian leaders were very clear,” he said. “They will not accept anything that is happening without them, and the way I see the mood within the European allies and partners is similar.”