Why does Europe feel sidelined in US-Russian negotiations?

Europe feels sidelined because it hasn't effectively contributed to its own security and hasn't provided sufficient support to Ukraine. European nations have barely spent enough money on defense, undermining their potential leverage with Russia at the negotiating table. Gabriel Narona explains that if European countries doubled or tripled their defense spending (as Russia has done), they could gain a position at negotiations with Putin. Currently, European leaders are concerned that critical decisions might be made without any European members present at the table, leaving their interests unrepresented in US-Russian talks regarding Ukraine's future.