EU's Kallas Rejects Trump's 'Big Beautiful' Europe Deal: 'Putin Does Not Have a Veto'

One day after President Donald Trump promised a "big, beautiful agreement" that "might involve all of Europe," the European Union's top diplomat shut the door on it. Kaja Kallas spoke in Warsaw today, Nov. 6, adding the EU's voice to the objections Poland's foreign minister raised earlier in the day.

"We already have a European security architecture in place," Kallas told journalists. "The problem remains that Russia keeps breaking the treaties that underpin it."

She added: "NATO posed no threat to Russia in 2021, and it poses no threat to Russia at the moment. Putin does not have a veto over European security." Kallas said the EU would have to be part of any deal for it to be implemented. Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski made a similar argument, saying an arrangement on Ukraine and Europe's future reached without Europeans would be politically unacceptable and practically impossible.

What Trump actually said

Trump spoke Thursday, Nov. 5, in the Oval Office after meeting Kirill Dmitriev, the sanctioned head of Russia's sovereign wealth fund and Vladimir Putin's special envoy. He did not describe what they discussed.

"It's going to be a big agreement. It's going to involve more than Ukraine, and I could even say it might involve all of Europe," Trump said. "Everyone's going to be thrilled." He also said, "I think we're going to be very close to settling Russia-Ukraine."

Trump gave no terms, no timeline and no list of participants. Ukraine's delegation was in Washington that day for a ceremony with First Lady Melania Trump, but Trump did not meet them.

Kushner's framework

Special envoy Jared Kushner posted a statement on X the same day. He said a "broader European security architecture" was needed to "address the security concerns of all sides, reduce the risk of future conflict, and create a more stable and predictable security environment."

Kushner called for "greater military transparency" and "reciprocal measures to reduce escalation risks" between Russia and Europe. The statement said he held "productive and substantive discussions" in Brussels with NATO, Ukraine and European partners. His text does not mention that Russia invaded Ukraine.

The Kremlin has long argued that NATO's presence in Eastern Europe is itself escalatory. Kushner's wording on reciprocal measures overlaps with that position, and that is the part that worries Warsaw.

The Trump administration's position is that it is trying to end the war. Kushner wrote: "President Trump has made achieving peace a priority," and said the focus is on "the difficult, detailed work necessary to turn that objective into a comprehensive and durable agreement."

Zelensky: not simple, possibly dangerous

Zelensky learned of the framework on a Thursday call with Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff, he told CNN's Jake Tapper today. He said he did not know many details.

"For me, it's not simple and it can be dangerous," Zelensky said. He argued that ending the war has to come first and security guarantees second. He is also quoted as saying, "We don't want there to be a Yalta-2. We don't want Russia to divide us."

Several European officials told CNN they did not know what Trump was referring to.

In a separate interview aired late Thursday on Ukraine's 1+1 channel, Zelensky said he wants specifics on postwar guarantees. "What matters is that it's clear on paper," he said. "If Russia starts (attacking) again, what will happen? Who will do what, with what means, and when?"

The talks ahead

Trilateral talks among Ukraine, Russia and the United States are set for Abu Dhabi next week. They would be the first three-way peace discussions since February.

Ukraine's lead negotiator, Rustem Umerov, said two days of Brussels meetings brought together officials from the US, UK, France, Germany and the EU, plus the World Bank and the investment firm BlackRock. Topics included postwar reconstruction, 2027 funding and security guarantees.

Trump spoke Thursday with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Trump has recently blamed Zelensky for refusing to make concessions to end the war.

Zelensky also said Democrats' sweeping wins in this week's midterm elections could help Kyiv, including by speeding delivery of Patriot interceptors. "I believe our chances of getting additional assistance from the United States may now grow," he said.

The war continues

Russian drones hit Ukraine again overnight, causing extensive power outages in several regions including the Kyiv area. The death toll from Monday's guided bomb strike on a former school used as a humanitarian aid distribution center is still rising.

The only recent pause was a localized ceasefire in Oleshky, brokered by Melania Trump, which ran from Oct. 27 to Nov. 1. The first lady said almost 800 people were evacuated.

It is unclear whether the Abu Dhabi talks will put a text in front of European governments. Kallas has said the EU would have to be part of any deal. Until the administration produces terms, the EU's position on record is to preserve the existing architecture.