go to the original language article
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen (S) has, at a closed meeting in a NATO setting, requested a plan B for Ukraine’s future.
This happened with reference to the peace negotiations between the United States and Russia, where Europe is on the sidelines and uncertain about the outcome.
Shortly after the meeting, NATO’s Secretary General, Mark Rutte, publicly said that there is no plan B, which is what the member states had discussed at the meeting, where, for example, Mette Frederiksen requested it.
“At the present time, we have not achieved any results regarding security guarantees. There are direct discussions between the United States and Russia without our presence. What is our plan B?” Mette Frederiksen asked at the meeting, according to DR.
Through the German media outlet Der Spiegel, DR has gained access to leaked minutes from the 1 December meeting between a number of European leaders about the future of Ukraine.
Recently, there have been negotiations about a peace plan in Ukraine. It is the United States that is leading the negotiations with Russia and Ukraine, and President Donald Trump is pushing for a quick solution.
At the meeting between the European leaders, it was discussed, according to DR, how Europe should handle the United States’ negotiations with Russia about the peace plan.
There was talk about whether Europe should be prepared to make “a lot of compromises”.
Mette Frederiksen declared herself “in disagreement” with this, according to the leaked minutes that Der Spiegel has given DR insight into.
“What do we do if the United States comes back and says that they have an agreement with Russia, and what do we do if Volodymyr (Zelenskyj, Ukraine’s president, ed.) cannot accept this – and neither can we?” said the Danish prime minister.
The Prime Minister’s Office has refused to comment to DR on confidential conversations.
DR writes that several of the participants at the meeting, according to Der Spiegel, have confirmed the wording of the minutes.
In addition to Mette Frederiksen and Volodymyr Zelenskyj, those taking part included, among others, France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, Germany’s chancellor, Friedrich Merz, Secretary General Mark Rutte and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
Heads of government from Italy, Poland and Norway also took part in the video meeting, as well as Finland’s president, Alexander Stubb, and Antonio Costa, who is President of the European Council.
Der Spiegel first described the leaked minutes a week ago.
Among others, Emmanuel Macron expressed concern about the United States in the peace negotiations and spoke of a “great danger” for Zelenskyj.
“There is a risk that the United States will abandon Ukraine on the territorial issue without clarity on security guarantees,” Macron said at the meeting, according to the German media outlet.
Finland’s president also warned against “leaving Ukraine and Volodymyr alone with these people here,” referring to the United States’ peace negotiators.