Bangladesh, Feb. 16 -- The European Union has been caught off guard by the latest developments in the ongoing Ukraine conflict, as the United States and Russia have reportedly moved toward direct peace talks without European involvement. French President Emmanuel Macron has responded by calling an emergency summit of European leaders, signaling growing concerns in Brussels over Washingtons unilateral approach to diplomacy. The summit, set to take place in Paris on February 17, aims to forge a unified European response to a process that appears to sideline the EU.

The latest diplomatic shift emerged after US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke directly on February 12, their first confirmed conversation since ...