Ukraine, German newspaper Der Spiegel:"The EU and NATO don't trust the US on borders and security."

According to information obtained by the German newspaper Der Spiegel, several European leaders have expressed strong mistrust of the United States' role in the peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. In a confidential phone call on Monday with Volodymyr Zelensky, Der Spiegel reports, citing the English transcript of the conversation, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron warned that Washington could accept territorial concessions to Russia without guaranteeing adequate security for Kiev. Macron stated that"there is a possibility that the US will betray Ukraine on the territorial issue," while Merz urged Zelensky to "be extremely cautious." The mistrust is directed especially at two emissaries close to US President Donald Trump, businessman Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, who, together with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, have initiated talks with Kiev and Moscow. Finnish President Alexander Stubb and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte also reportedly warned their allies:"We cannot leave Ukraine alone with these two," Stubb reportedly said. Also participating in the call, Der Spiegel reports, were Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and European Council President Antonio Costa. Some participants confirmed the substance of the report to Der Spiegel, while refraining from authenticating the direct quotes. The Elysée Palace denied that Macron had spoken of"betrayal," but did not provide an alternative version, the magazine explains. Publicly, however, Macron praised the US initiative as"an excellent thing that puts pressure on Russia." Berlin avoided comment, recalling that Merz had reiterated in a press conference the importance of transatlantic cooperation and the use of frozen Russian assets as a European negotiating lever.