European leaders are scrambling to respond to President Trump’s first moves to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, shocked to find themselves on the outside of high-stakes talks about the continent’s security and grappling with a potential retreat of U.S. forces from Europe.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said “real talks” will involve Europe and Ukraine, as he prepares to meet his Russian counterpart in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. But that follows a slew of mixed messages from Trump’s top officials and a browbeating from Vice President Vance at the Munich Security Conference last week.

Leaders of eight major European countries met Monday to coordinate a response, after being caught on their back foot by Trump’s opening gambit on Russia-Ukraine talks.

Even Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday said he “knew nothing about” the peace discussions in the Middle East until they were announced publicly.

“I think Europe is realizing that they have to come up with a plan, quickly, and on their own to be ready for whatever comes next,” said Sudha David-Wilp, vice president of external relations and senior fellow with the German Marshall Fund.

“The mood was turning from bad to worse,” said one European foreign policy expert who attended the Munich conference, granted anonymity to speak candidly.

European officials expected to be taken to task over low defense spending, but not to be left out of talks completely. The uncertainty is already spurring talks on loosening the EU’s budgetary deficit requirements to allow more spending on defense, the expert said.

“There will probably be a series of announcements by Europeans in the upcoming days to signal to the Americans that they are to be taken seriously — but also to reassure each other,” they said.

French President Emmanuel Macron called the emergency meeting on Monday, inviting the leaders of Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands, Denmark and the European Union.

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