US envoy Steve Witkoff has said that Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed to European representatives taking part in the next round of negotiations aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.
Following his meeting with Putin at the Kremlin, Witkoff announced that Europe would be included in the upcoming discussions, describing the development as a significant moment.
“Europeans will join the next meeting, which we consider a very important moment, because they are our partners and it is essential for us that they are present,” Witkoff told Russian state television.
Jared Kushner was also present at the meeting. He told Putin that he had noticed a “major change” in the European position and expressed confidence that European involvement would not hinder progress in the negotiations.
Putin, meanwhile, claimed that Russia had never opposed dialogue with Europe, arguing that European countries were the ones that had cut off communication with Moscow.
“We would very much like you gentlemen, and the American administration as a whole, to work with your European allies so that they finally decide what they want: peace or war in Ukraine,” the Russian president was quoted as saying.
However, Putin warned that deploying European troops to Ukraine after a potential peace agreement would trigger an immediate resumption of the war, as Moscow would consider such a move a threat to its security.
According to Sky News, it remains unclear who will represent Europe in the next round of negotiations. Neither the date nor the location of the meeting has been announced.
Meanwhile, the United States and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy are pushing for Europe to appoint a single representative to negotiate with Moscow.
Following their meeting at the Kremlin, Witkoff and Kushner are expected to travel to Dublin, where they will brief the Ukrainian leader on their discussions with Putin.
