A jolt for Europe in Munich and a critical week ahead as US and Russia are set to meet on Ukraine

The future of Ukraine hangs in the balance as U.S. officials head to Saudi Arabia to begin direct negotiations with Moscow over ending the war, leaving Kyiv and its European allies scrambling to come up with a strategy for their own security.

France called an emergency meeting of European leaders in Paris after the continent was left reeling by its first encounter with Trump's team at the Munich Security Conference over the weekend. European leaders were stunned as senior U.S. officials including U.S. Vice President JD Vance lambasted European nations, gave mixed signals on support for Kyiv and suggested Europe would not be at the table for negotiations on Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy insisted Kyiv will never accept a deal done behind its back and rejected a U.S. proposal for access to Ukraine's rare earth minerals because it was too focused on U.S. interests and offered no specific security guarantees in return.

European leaders are beginning their week huddling in Paris. Zelenskyy is in the United Arab Emirates as part of a Mideast tour to rally support while U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is preparing to meet Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Saudi Arabia — the first such high-level U.S.-Russia meeting since the invasion began almost three years ago.

Here's a roundup of how a tumultuous weekend in Munich shook the post-World War II order, and where key players stand on this week's talks:

United States

Vance stunned the Munich conference with an attack on Europe over what he called a retreat from values shared with the U.S., accusing European leaders of failing to stop illegal migration, suppressing free speech and of being afraid of their own voters. He questioned whether the U.S. and Europe continue to have a shared agenda and suggested threats to the continent are not from China or Russia but "from within.''

Gen. Keith Kellogg, Trump's special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, meanwhile all but cut Europeans out of any Ukraine-Russia talks, despite Zelenskyy's call for Europe to take part. Trump administration officials also made it clear that they expect European nations to commit resources to the country to guarantee Ukraine's future security and have not said what, if any, role the U.S. would play.

Rubio arrived Monday in Saudi Arabia ahead of talks with Russia Tuesday after Trump ordered his officials to end the war and prepare for a meeting with Russia President Vladimir Putin.

Ukraine

Zelenskyy begins the week in the United Arab Emirates but Ukraine is not taking part in the talks in Saudi Arabia although a Ukrainian delegation is in the country for a business forum.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine will not accept any agreement which is struck by Moscow and Washington over the head of Kyiv and has called for the creation of an ''armed forces of Europe,'' because the U.S. may no longer be counted on to support the continent. He wants a military alternative to NATO with Ukraine's involvement which can make its own decisions without the influence of the United States although there are questions about whether that's practical.

Although a senior Ukrainian official told the AP a Friday meeting between Zelenskyy and U.S. Vice President JS Vance was ''very good," Zelenskyy ordered his officials not to agree to a U.S. proposal to give Washington access to Ukraine's rare earth minerals because it was heavily focused on US interests and offered no specific security guarantees in return.

The White House said Zelenskyy was being ''short-sighted'' by not agreeing to ''the excellent opportunity'' from the Trump administration.

Europe

European leaders are processing tough talk and mixed messages from the Trump administration on issues including democracy and Ukraine's future at a summit in Paris.

At the weekend, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hit back at the U.S. for meddling in his country's election after Vance scolded European leaders over their approach to democracy and met with the leader of a German far-right party.

Annalena Baerbock, Germany's foreign minister, called the upcoming week ''an existential moment. It's a moment where Europe has to stand up.''

Following the tumultuous weekend, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer Monday became one of the first European leaders to explicitly state he is considering deploying forces to Ukraine if there is a peace deal, even if it puts them ''in harm's way."

Russia

Over the last week, Moscow has come in from the cold - at least when it comes to the U.S. administration.

The phone call between Trump and Putin sent a jolt across Europe while Vance's speech in Munich lambasting European values was greeted with delight in Moscow. The Russian newspaper Moskovsky Komsomolets said ''the old world has been taken down a peg or two,'' and that Europe was left ''dumbfounded'' and struggling to get its breath back as it was ''kneed by America just below the belt.''

Although it is not clear whether Putin really wants to end the war, the Kremlin said Lavrov and other top officials are going to Saudi Arabia for negotiations with Trump's officials. They will discuss restoring ties, Ukraine and a meeting — Putin has already invited Trump to Moscow, suggesting he come in May.

Moskovsky Komsomolets joked Monday with readers about the consequences of Trump and Putin's call:

"Trump called Putin. It went like this:

‘Vladimir you've got a cool country, and I have a cool country. Shall we go and divide up the world?'"