Europe, Ukraine must be part of Ukraine settlement talks - statement

BRUSSELS. Feb 13 (Interfax) - Europe and Ukraine must be part of the Ukraine settlement talks, and Kiev needs solid security guarantees, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, the United Kingdom, Spain and the European Union said in a statement.

"Our shared objectives should be to put Ukraine in a position of strength. Ukraine and Europe must be part of any negotiations," the statement, published after a meeting of seven foreign ministers in Paris, said.

"Ukraine should be provided with strong security guarantees. A just and lasting peace in Ukraine is a necessary condition for a strong transatlantic security," the statement said, indicating there will be no fair and enduring peace in Ukraine without Europeans, and they are waiting to discuss further actions with the U.S. allies.

The meeting followed U.S. President Donald Trump's statement that he had spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin and they were ready for the immediate beginning of negotiations on ending the Ukraine conflict.

The Paris meeting aimed to define the bloc's defense strategy, to discuss ways of strengthening Ukraine, to plan future peace talks, and to consider the approach towards negotiations with the U.S. administration at the Munich Security Conference, the Guardian said.

"But it was derailed" after U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on behalf of the Trump administration that Ukraine's return to the 2014 borders was unrealistic and the United States was not considering Kiev's admission to NATO, it said.