European leaders insisted on Monday they must have a say in international talks to end the war in Ukraine, despite the clear message from both Washington and Moscow that there was no role for them as yet in negotiations that could shape the future of the continent.

The American president’s latest remarks embracing Vladimir Putin’s narrative that Ukraine is to blame for the war have compounded the sense of alarm among traditional allies.

European leaders are gathering in France for an emergency summit on Ukraine after the Trump administration announced it was opening talks with Russia on ending the war without a European presence.