“Bastards” one British defence official said of the Americans on hearing US purported plan for Ukraine

HERE below are dozens of news reports covering the past five days that shook US-UK-Europe relations while the 61st Munich Security Conference was held 14-16 Feb 2025. Much of the conference, a centre of international diplomacy, was live-streamed. Recordings can be found here.

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From BBC News Live Reporting
Edited by Alex Therrien and Frances Mao

Published Sunday 16 February 2025 at 20:09 PM GMT - full copy:

Timeline: Five days that shook US-Europe relations

Donald Trump's administration has been accelerating action to end the war in Ukraine, in a drastic shift in US policy on the conflict. 

Here's a run-down of the key moments day-by-day:

Wednesday 12 February: Trump shocks European allies by revealing he had a "lengthy" phone call with Russian President, with both leaders agreeing to begin negotiations to end the Ukraine war

Thursday 13 February: Zelensky says Ukraine will not agree to any peace deal drawn up without its involvement. European allies back him

Friday 14 February: JD Vance uses his Munich Security Conference speech to scald European democracies, almost entirely ignoring Ukraine – the conference’s key focus

Saturday 15 February: In his own speech to the conference, Zelensky calls for the creation of an “army of Europe”. The US announces peace talks will be held in Saudi Arabia. But it provokes further consternation by saying Europe will be consulted but not involved in the negotiations

Sunday 16 February: The BBC learns that Kyiv has not been invited to the talks in Saudi Arabia. European leaders schedule an emergency summit in Paris to discuss the war and European security

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From BBC News online

By James Waterhouse

Ukraine correspondent

Reporting from Kyiv

Maia Davies

BBC News

Dated Sunday 16 February 2025, 20:38 PM GMT - excerpt: 

Ukraine not invited to US-Russia peace talks, source tells BBC

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly ruled out accepting a peace deal negotiated without Kyiv's involvement. 

Kyiv has not been invited to talks between the US and Russia aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, a senior Ukrainian government source has told the BBC. 

European leaders have also not been asked to join the discussions, and are due to meet instead on Monday [17 Feb] in Paris at a summit hastily arranged by the French president, as fears grow the continent is being locked out of negotiations.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly ruled out accepting a peace deal negotiated without Kyiv's involvement

Full story: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm292319gr2o

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“Bastards” one British defence official said of the Americans on hearing of the purported plan.https://t.co/9PJ2ughD4P

— Rob Crilly (@robcrilly) February 15, 2025

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Final day here of the Munich Security Conference as America tells Europe it needs to look after its own security and defence. #MSC2025 pic.twitter.com/OPSiAHDpTK

— Frank Gardner (@FrankRGardner) February 16, 2025

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Related reports

From BBC News online

By Luke Mintz, The World This Weekend

Chas Geiger, Politics reporter

Dated Sunday 16 February 2025, 18:13 PM GMT - excerpt:

US isolation threatens global democracy, warns Major

Sir John Major has warned that democracy is under threat as the United States steps back from its leading role in the world.

The former prime minister told the BBC that US President Donald Trump's policy of American "isolation" was creating a power vacuum that would embolden nations like Russia and China.

Sir John, who was PM from 1990 to 1997, said the gains made since the collapse of the Soviet Union were now being reversed - and that there was "no doubt" Russia would invade elsewhere before long.

He said that "ugly nationalism" growing concurrently was making for a "very unsettled time".

His comments come as European leaders prepare for an emergency summit on Monday on the war in Ukraine.

US and Russian officials are due to open peace talks in the coming days despite concerns European nations including Ukraine were being locked out.

Full story: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gwngxdd1vo

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BBC News Live Reporting - Some Summaries covering 12-16 Feb 2025

Donald Trump says he had a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin and that they agreed to start negotiations to end the war in Ukraine "immediately"

Both Trump and Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the two presidents agreed to visit each other's nations during the call

Volodymyr Zelensky's office has confirmed that the Ukrainian president also spoke to his American counterpart in an hour-long phone call

That Trump and Putin have something to talk about is quite promising, our security correspondent Frank Gardner writes - but today's development "has been a bit of a cold shower for both Ukraine and Nato"

Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is answering reporters' questions in the briefing room - you can watch live at the top of this page

Earlier, a US House committee heard from witnesses about Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), after Trump signed an executive order to give more power to the body, which is not an official government agency

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he has warned world leaders "against trusting Putin's claims of readiness to end the war"

This comes after the Kremlin confirmed Ukraine will "of course" take part in any peace deal negotiations

Donald Trump spoke to Vladimir Putin on Wednesday before announcing they agreed talks to end the Ukraine war could start "immediately"

After a Nato meeting in Brussels, US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth said peace negotiations will involve elements neither Moscow nor Kyiv wants while Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte said Putin must not be able to "grab another square mile" of Ukraine 

Earlier, Trump said there was now a "good possibility" of ending the war

Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, eight years after it unilaterally annexed Crimea

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Ukrainian officials will not attend Russia-US talks to be held in Saudi Arabia in the coming days, the BBC has learned

A government source tells BBC News that Ukraine has not been invited and will not send a delegation 

Two of Trump's closest foreign policy advisers - Mike Waltz and Steve Witkoff - will travel to Saudi Arabia tonight ahead of the talks 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky repeatedly warned he would not accept any deal struck without his country's input

Elsewhere, European leaders will gather in France for an emergency summit tomorrow [Mon 17 Feb], amid US efforts to agree a deal with Russia to end the war in Ukraine

It comes after US President Donald Trump spoke on the phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this week to discuss a possible deal 

After a chaotic week, Zelensky is trying to re-assert his position, our correspondent in Ukraine James Waterhouse writes

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Report from BBC News Live Reporting

Published Sunday16 Feb 2025 at 18:38 PM GMT - full copy:

Europe has been sending more aid to Ukraine than the US

Who in the West is giving more to Ukraine? Europe has overtaken the US in Ukraine aid, research from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, external shows.

In total, Europe has allocated €70bn (£58bn) in financial and humanitarian aid as well as €62bn in military aid.

This compares to €50bn from the US in financial and humanitarian allocations and €64bn in military aid. A nine-month battle over spending in US Congress in mid-2023 stalled Ukraine aid. 

When considering the aid as a share of donor GDP, Germany, the UK and the US have mobilised less than 0.2% of their annual GDP to support Ukraine. Other rich donor countries like France, Italy and Spain allocated roughly 0.1% of their annual GDP.

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Report from BBC News Live Reporting

Published Sunday 16 Feb 2025 at 19:33 PM GMT - full copy:

US sent questionnaire to Europe on Ukraine security contributions

The US sent a document to European governments asking what the countries could contribute towards Ukraine's security arrangements, it has emerged.

The questionnaire sent last week, obtained by Reuters, also asked European nations what they would need from Washington to participate in security arrangements.

The document consisted of six points and questions, asking which countries could contribute to Ukraine's security, and which would be willing to send troops as part of a peace deal.

It comes after US President Donald Trump shocked Europe this week by phoning Russian President Vladimir Putin and declaring an immediate start to peace talks.

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Further reading

Analysis: Zelensky joins a growing list of US allies who are finding that the world according to Trump is a more uncertain place for them, writes the BBC's Jeremy Bowen

News story: Zelensky says no peace deal without Ukraine involvement

Ukraine in maps: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-60506682

Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c4g97971rwnt

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SAF & RSF no shows at Sudan peace talks in Geneva. ICC should issue arrest warrants for Burhan & Hemeti

NOTE from Sudan Watch Editor: I have been dreading today's news about the long awaited Sudan ceasefire talks being held in Geneva, Switzerland starting today. I fear it is Sudan's last chance to save itself and its people and more delays will enable the SAF and RSF to keep on killing their own people.

A BBC report just in (below) says neither side turned up for talks. I know it is none of my business, I am not Sudanese, it is not my place to interfere. As an anti-poverty campaigner, it pains me to know millions of poverty-stricken Sudanese will continue to suffer unnecessarily, I am seeing red right now. 

 

In my view, it is impossible to know what the Americans are playing at. They do not seem to know what they are doing. It is difficult to understand what they and their people like Ms Molly Phee are cooking up behind the scenes.

 

Personally, I wish the ICC would now issue arrest warrants for Messrs Burhan and Hemeti without further delay, charging them with mass murder and blatantly refusing to abide by international and humanitarian law.

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Report from BBC News

Written by Wedaeli Chibelushi, Imogen Foulkes & Kalkidan Yibetal

Dated Wednesday, 14 August 2024. Full copy:

Sudan peace talks start - but neither side shows up

Image source, AFP Image caption, Around 10 million people have fled their homes as a result of the war

Fresh peace talks aimed at ending Sudan's 16-month war have started although neither warring side has entered the negotiating room.

The US, which is leading the talks, insisted the event continued regardless, saying "we are going to try to do everything we can to try to end this horrific crisis in Sudan".

Fighting between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has killed thousands, driven about 10 million people from their homes and sparked what the United Nations has called the "world's worst hunger crisis".

The army said it would boycott the talks several days ago, while RSF delegates went to Switzerland but at the last minute said they would stay away.

Dashing hopes of a ceasefire, the army said it would not attend as the RSF had not implemented "what was agreed upon" in Saudi Arabia last year.

The paramilitary group had not met key conditions of the Jeddah Declaration, such as withdrawing its fighters from civilians’ houses and public facilities, the army said.

"Military operations will not stop without the withdrawal of every last militiaman from the cities and villages they have plundered and colonised," said Sudanese armed forces chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.

The RSF has denied accusations of looting and violence against civilians.

As late as Tuesday night, there were still hopes that Sudan's army would arrive for the talks. Tom Perriello, the US Special Envoy for Sudan, said at 23:30 GMT (00:30 Swiss time) that the delegates were "still waiting on the SAF".

"The world is watching," he posted on X.

Mr Perriello told the BBC that in the absence of both sides, the other parties were "moving forward with the negotiations on everything we can do, to make sure we are getting food and medicine and civilian protection to every person in Sudan".

The RSF on Tuesday night said its arrival in Geneva was "a powerful testament to our resolve and determination to alleviate the suffering of the Sudanese people". The group called on the army to attend the talks.

However, the RSF were not present at the start of the talks on Wednesday. The group has not publicly given a reason for withdrawing.

Before the talks were due to begin, and before the RSF pulled out, Mukesh Kapila, the former United Nations Chief Coordinator for Sudan, said the mood among the delegates was "pretty glum".

"I don't think the two belligerents are interested in talking to each other. One of them is not here already and not much is expected," he told the BBC.

Mr Perriello, however, said he was "very, very hopeful" that the army would listen to "the overwhelming voice of the Sudanese people" and send delegates to Geneva for the talks.

Previous peace talks in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain have all failed.

Delegates from the US, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the African Union and the United Nations attended Wednesday's ceremony.

As well as citing the Jeddah Declaration, the army also said it objected to the presence of the UAE as an observer.

The UAE has been accused of arming the RSF, although the Gulf nation has denied any involvement.

The US said the UAE and Egypt - also thought to wield influence in the conflict - needed to attend the talks to help ensure any ceasefire actually holds.

According to the UN’s migration agency, tens of thousands of preventable deaths are looming in Sudan if the conflict and restrictions on humanitarian aid continue.

As talks began in Geneva, medical charity MSF said the last functioning city in the besieged Sudanese city of el-Fasher may have to shut down due to intensive bombardment.

The surgical ward in the Saudi hospital was hit on Sunday, killing the carer of a patient and injuring five others, the charity reported.

The Rapid Support Forces have been trying to capture the city from the army for several months, forcing tens of thousands of civilian to flee.

It is the last city still under army control in the western region of Darfur, where the RSF has been accused of widespread atrocities against the region's non-Arabic population.

Additional reporting from Will Ross

• A simple guide to what is happening in Sudan
• A front-row seat to my country, Sudan, falling apart
• The children living between starvation and death in Darfur

View original: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c985493m719o

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Related reports

BBC News - Wed 14 Aug 2024

Sudan army boycotts US-led peace talks

Sudan's army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan refused to send a delegation to the peace talks in Geneva. Fresh peace talks aimed at ending Sudan's 16-month war have started although neither warring side has entered the negotiating room. The US, which is leading the talks, insisted the event continued regardless, saying "we are going to try to do everything we can to try to end this horrific crisis in Sudan".

Full story: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c985493m719o

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Dabanga English Online - Wed 14 Aug 2024

Cameron Hudson: ‘Outside backers perpetuate Sudan stalemate’

Hudson emphasised that SAF’s decision to boycott the talks is not final. “It is a reversible decision,” he said, highlighting that SAF could be compelled or choose to change its stance depending on the evolving situation on the ground. He pointed out that SAF has consistently insisted on the implementation of the previous Jeddah agreement and seeks recognition not as an equivalent to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), but as the ‘legitimate government’ of Sudan.

Full story: https://www.dabangasudan.org/en/all-news/article/cameron-hudson-outside-backers-perpetuate-sudan-stalemat

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Geneva Solutions - Tue 13 Aug 2024

Sudan talks in Geneva: ‘We want peace’

Yassin regretted the exclusion of Tagadum and other civilian representatives from the talks. Only a dozen representatives from women’s groups, whose identities have not been disclosed for security reasons, were invited as observers, along with the United Nations and the African Union. He still welcomed the talks as “a good step towards building peace”. Rasheed harbours no illusions on her part, noting that “civilian voices are largely ignored”. “These people are treated as legitimate leaders. The table is there for those with the guns,” she said. She still views it as a necessary step. “The main thing is to stop the senseless dying and starving. Whatever progress is made is more than welcome.”

Full story: https://genevasolutions.news/peace-humanitarian/sudan-talks-in-geneva-we-want-peace

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