Russia denies accepting European participation in the negotiations

A Russia has today refused to accept European participation in the negotiations for the end of the war in Ukraine, after the Ukrainian President and US envoys announced that Europe would be involved in the forthcoming discussions.

During the negotiations held this week in Abu Dhabi, under the auspices of Washington, Europeans met separately with the Ukrainian delegation, but did not participate in the meetings organised by the United States between the Kyiv and Moscow negotiating teams and, according to the Kremlin, they could not possibly sit at the table until Russia realized “their true intentions”.

After talking on Thursday night with the envoys of Donald Trump, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, ensured that Europeans would be present in the “next negotiations”.

Jared Kushner, in turn, said that a peace agreement to end the conflict, which has lasted for more than four years, could not be reached “without Europeans at the negotiating table”.

However, the spokesman for the Russian Presidency, Dmitry Peskov, indicated at his daily press conference that Moscow had not yet taken a decision in this regard.

“ Once we understand their true intentions [of Europeans] and their willingness to contribute to the peace process, we can decide on the holding of negotiations in a broader format,” he said.

Nevertheless, the Kremlin showed some openness to the participation of Europeans after Kyiv agreed that the process should also address the previously taboo requirements regarding possible changes in the continent's security architecture.

“ If Europeans do have a duly authorised representative to dialogue and if they really want to do so, then, of course, we will be ready to talk to them,” Dmitry Peskov added.

On Thursday, the Russian President, Vladimir Putun, had already addressed the issue to the American mediators.

“ We would very much like the US administration to talk to European partners so that they can decide once and for all what they want: peace or war in Ukraine,” he said.

Putin added that he is willing to work with Europeans to reach a peace agreement, in which Russia is only interested if it addresses its aspirations to reverse, or at least contain, the expansion of NATO and the EU to the east, as was evident in the negotiations held on Tuesday and Wednesday in Abu Dhabi.

Given the willingness of the Kremlin to include the European partners of Ukraine at the negotiating table, Witkoff and Kushner considered European participation in the next round of negotiations, which could take place next week as well, and stated that a format with more actors represented is ideal for moving towards peace.

Zelensky echoed this positive assessment, considering that it was “a real, very important result” and “a success”.

One issue which has become particularly urgent in the light of the developments is who will represent Europe in the negotiations.

“If Europe were able to appoint someone to speak on its behalf, this would be a greater achievement than convincing the Russians to include it in the negotiations,” said Jared Kushner, while Ukrainian negotiators smiled and sat next to it.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb has been appointed as a possible candidate, especially because he has a good relationship with Trump, is a faithful ally of Ukraine and broke the ice with Putin this month by participating in an unusual phone conversation with the Russian President, alongside the Norwegian Prime Minister, Jonas Gahr Store.

However, the telephone call was not well received by the other Nordic leaders and also provoked fears in other countries, so their appointment is far from having unanimous support in the European capitals.

The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, said on Thursday that it should be itself, together with the President of the European Council, António Costa, to represent the bloc in the negotiations, for institutional reasons, but Paris and Berlin are reluctant to delegate tasks in Brussels, and Kallas' firm stance on Russia is generating opposition within the EU.