Russia Says European Role in Ukraine Peace Talks Remains Unsettled
At a Glance
Russia says it has not agreed to European participation in the next round of Ukraine peace talks.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US envoy Jared Kushner said Europe would take part.
The Kremlin says it is open to talks with European representatives if they have a clear mandate.
Moscow's lead negotiator says European countries have not presented concrete peace proposals.
Russia has not agreed to include European representatives in the next round of US-mediated peace talks on Ukraine, despite statements from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US envoy Jared Kushner that Europe would participate.
Key Statements and Focus Areas
Kremlin on European Participation
“Once we understand their real intentions and their willingness to contribute to the peace process, then we can make a decision on holding talks in an expanded format.”
— Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov
Peskov said Moscow would be prepared to engage with European representatives if they had the authority and willingness to participate.
US and Ukrainian Position
Zelenskyy said European representatives would join the next round following discussions with US envoys.
Kushner said a peace agreement could not be reached “without Europeans being at the table.”
Moscow Questions European Proposals
Russian lead negotiator Vladimir Medinsky said Moscow had not received concrete peace proposals from European countries.
He questioned what there would be to discuss with European representatives without specific initiatives.
Russia said Friday it had not agreed to expand US-mediated negotiations on ending the war in Ukraine to include European representatives, highlighting differences over Europe's role in the diplomatic process.
The issue followed two days of talks in Abu Dhabi earlier this week, where European envoys held separate meetings with the Ukrainian delegation but did not participate in the US-led discussions between Russian and Ukrainian representatives.
After briefing discussions with US envoys, Zelenskyy said Europe would be included in the next round. Kushner also stressed that European participation was necessary for a potential peace agreement.
However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow would first need to assess Europe's intentions and willingness to contribute before deciding whether to hold talks in an expanded format.
Russia's chief negotiator, Vladimir Medinsky, separately said Moscow had not received concrete peace proposals from European countries.
FYI
The disagreement reflects a broader diplomatic question over Europe's role in negotiations to end Russia's war against Ukraine. European governments have emphasized that any settlement would directly affect the continent's security, while Moscow's latest statements indicate that European participation in the negotiating format remains unresolved.
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