Why Rubio and Lavrov's phone call on undoing US sanctions on Russia has Europe scrambling

The United States will hold talks with Russia aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, without the participation of Europe or Kyiv. The meeting between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is expected to take place in Saudi Arabia in the coming days.
Speaking at the Munich security conference, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected the idea of any deal being imposed without the involvement of Europe and Ukraine. European leaders also expressed alarm at being excluded from talks on Ukraine's future and are planning an emergency summit in Paris.