US President Donald Trump’s “lengthy and highly productive” phone call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin has sparked fears in Europe of a “dirty deal” being struck to end the war in Ukraine on terms favorable to Moscow without Kyiv’s involvement.

President Trump’s phone call to his Russian counterpart has intensified fears that Ukraine could be excluded from peace talks determining its future and security.

"Any agreement without us will fail, because you need Europe and Ukraine to also implement the agreement," EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said. "Any quick fix is a dirty deal." Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said: "Nothing can be discussed on Ukraine without Ukraine or on Europe without Europe.

French President Emmanuel Macron, in an interview with the Financial Times has described Donald Trump’s return to power as an “electroshock” for the EU and a moment “to accelerate and execute”, warning that otherwise the project is at risk of failure: “It has no choice.

After being blindsided by US President Donald Trump’s call with Russia’s Vladimir Putin, European leaders said they — and Ukraine — need to be part of any negotiation over Kyiv’s future. The biggest concern is that before any actual peace negotiations,