Russia has not yet committed to European participation in upcoming peace negotiations over Ukraine, linking any future seat at the table to concrete proof of Europe’s willingness to contribute, the Kremlin stated on Wednesday.
The conditional stance emerged after US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff held talks in Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin and later traveled to Dublin to brief Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, [NOS Nieuws] reported. Zelensky previously maintained that European nations would participate in the next round of discussions, following preliminary negotiations in Abu Dhabi that included only Russia, Ukraine, and the United States.
“As soon as we see their sincere intentions and their willingness to contribute to the peace process, we can decide whether to hold a dialogue on a settlement for Ukraine in a broader composition,” said Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, according to [NOS Nieuws]. Kremlin-woordvoerder Dmitri Peskov also said that European nations had proactively broken off dialogue with Moscow, while President Putin had never refused contact, [Vietnam.vn](httpsvietnam.vn) reported.
American negotiators emphasized the necessity of European involvement following their Kremlin meetings.
Witkoff told journalists that European allies are important partners who must be involved in the diplomatic track, [NOS Nieuws] reported.
“[W]”We have told President Putin that we consider that very important,” said Jared Kushner, US envoy, [NOS Nieuws]. Kushner added in Dublin that no final agreements can be forged without European representatives seated at the table.
European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas pushed back against Moscow’s preconditions on Wednesday. Kallas stated that Russia has no right to dictate who represents the EU in diplomatic channels, [NOS Nieuws] reported.
“[Z]”We do not want a strong party opposite us because they want to push through their maximum demands,” said Kaja Kallas, EU Foreign Policy Chief. [NOS Nieuws].
While diplomatic maneuvering continues, military operations persist across the region. The Russian military reported attacking a cargo ship in the Black Sea southwest of Odesa carrying weapons and military hardware destined for Ukraine.
Simultaneously, the Ukrainian military claimed responsibility for a rocket strike targeting drone production and repair facilities in Rostov, according to a Telegram statement cited by [NOS Nieuws]. The statement said that Russian drones continue nightly flights targeting Ukrainian cities, military positions, and energy infrastructure.
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