"Even Chamberlain never stooped this low": European leaders reacted to Trump's conversation with Putin.

European and US politicians have responded to statements made by US President Donald Trump regarding the content of his phone conversation with Putin and remarks from the new Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, who stated that reclaiming the territories lost by Ukraine is unrealistic.

The majority assert that without Ukraine and Europe, peaceful negotiations are impossible, while the most vocal critics warn that such verbal concessions even before negotiations begin signify a betrayal of Ukraine's and the West's interests, as reported by BBC.

In particular, aside from the aforementioned statements, the foreign ministers of leading European countries discussed the war during a meeting in Paris the day before. In their concluding statement, they assured that their countries are ready to increase assistance to Ukraine and support its territorial integrity.

“We are prepared to enhance our support for Ukraine. We affirm our commitment to its independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity in the face of Russian military aggression. Our common goal is to continue supporting Ukraine until a just, comprehensive, and lasting peace is achieved,” the statement from the foreign ministers of France, Germany, Poland, Italy, Spain, and Britain, as well as the European Union, reads.

The participants of the meeting emphasized that, in their opinion, Europe must necessarily participate in peace negotiations, and they intend to discuss this with their American allies.

“The independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine are non-negotiable. Our priority now must be to strengthen Ukraine and provide effective security guarantees. Europe must play a central role in any negotiations,” stated the head of the EU foreign affairs department, Kaja Kallas.

German Foreign Minister Annalen Baerbock, commenting on Trump's statements, specifically stressed that separate negotiations should not be conducted.

“Peace can only be achieved through joint efforts. That means with Ukraine and with Europeans. For peace to return to Europe, we must take this path together,” Baerbock commented to Politico.

“We all want only peace. A JUST peace. Ukraine, Europe, and the US must work on this together. TOGETHER,” wrote Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on social media.

Former Swedish Prime Minister and co-chair of the European Council on Foreign Relations Carl Bildt compared Trump's and Hegseth's statements to the actions of European leaders during negotiations with Hitler in Munich in 1938.

“This is certainly an innovative approach to negotiations – making significant concessions even before they begin. Even Chamberlain in 1938 did not stoop this low. And that Munich ended badly,” Bildt wrote on social media.

Trump's opponent, Democratic Senator Adam Schiff, accused the president and the defense minister of betraying the interests of Ukraine and the US.

“Let’s call things by their names: this is a surrender of Ukraine's interests and our interests even before negotiations begin. Trump is certainly a great dealmaker – a dealmaker in favor of the Kremlin,” Schiff stated on his social media account.

Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže emphasized in an interview with Politico that Ukraine must necessarily be involved in any peace negotiations, and that to achieve successful negotiations, Russia must be weakened through war.

“To achieve a peace agreement, Russia must be weakened on the battlefield. Russian politics, economy, religion, media, and private sector – all are currently directed towards war. Therefore, Russia must be compelled to peace,” Braže said.

“The path to peace is reducing Russian military power. Investing in Ukraine's strength is investing in peace. And weakening Russia is investing in peace. An important component here is sanctions and their successful implementation,” the Latvian minister added.

Trump's party mate, Republican Congressman Joe Wilson, a strong supporter of Ukraine, backed the actions of the American president but stated that the US must increase both sanctions against Russia and military assistance to Ukraine.

“President Trump is an experienced negotiator who masters the Art of the Deal,” Wilson wrote. “We must provide him with maximum leverage by preparing comprehensive sanctions against Russia and granting authority for the rapid arming of Ukraine.”

Background. Recall that the day before, Trump stated that he discussed the cessation of the war with Putin over the phone. He also mentioned the formation of a team within his administration that will conduct negotiations.

Prior to this, the new Pentagon chief Hegseth stated at a Ramstein-format contact group meeting that “the return of Ukraine to the borders of 2014 is impossible.” He also does not believe that Ukraine's accession to NATO would help resolve the military conflict.