The American president’s latest remarks embracing Vladimir Putin’s narrative that Ukraine is to blame for the war have compounded the sense of alarm among traditional allies.

European leaders are gathering in France for an emergency summit on Ukraine after the Trump administration announced it was opening talks with Russia on ending the war without a European presence.

European leaders meeting in Paris on Monday for emergency talks called for higher defense spending to ramp up the continent's defense capabilities but remained divided on the possible deployment of peacekeepers to Ukraine to back up any peace deal.