Russia has dampened hopes that European leaders will soon join negotiations to end its war in Ukraine, despite signals from US envoys that President Vladimir Putin may accept their presence at the next round of talks, reported by Euro News.
US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner travelled to Moscow on Thursday after two days of negotiations in Abu Dhabi. Their aim was to persuade Putin to allow European representatives into a multilateral peace process that has so far involved Russia, Ukraine and the United States.
After meeting Putin, Witkoff said Europeans would join the next meeting, calling their participation an important step because they are partners in the effort. Kushner described the discussions as detailed and said they could help create a broader framework for lasting peace between Russia, Ukraine and Europe.
But the Kremlin quickly tempered expectations. Putin’s foreign-policy aide, Yuri Ushakov, said Europe must first decide whether it wants “peace” or “war,” referring to its continued military support for Ukraine. He argued that Europe’s practical actions so far pointed towards war.
Putin went further, warning that any deployment of European troops in Ukraine after a ceasefire would be unacceptable to Russia and could reignite the conflict. He said Moscow wanted Washington to work with its European allies to clarify whether they sought peace or continued confrontation.
At the centre of the dispute is Europe’s future security architecture. Putin invoked President Donald Trump’s proposed “big, beautiful agreement,” suggesting that a settlement should involve all of Europe and address the continent’s wider security arrangements.
European leaders view this with suspicion. They argue that Russia is trying to use negotiations over European security to weaken NATO, gain influence over alliance decisions and distract from its invasion of Ukraine.
In Dublin, European leaders pushed back, insisting that Russia itself had broken the security agreements that had maintained stability for decades. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Russia must come to the table and show that it is genuinely ready for talks.
The European Union is expected to discuss appointing a special envoy for the diplomatic process. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has asked EU leaders to name one common representative by the end of the month.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said such an appointment was a precondition for Europe joining negotiations. He mocked European divisions, saying leaders “squabble like spiders in a jar” and that anyone seeking contact with Moscow risked being isolated.
Russia’s resistance is not absolute. Last month, Putin held a 90-minute call with the leaders of Finland and Norway, suggesting that Moscow may engage selectively with European capitals.
For now, the message from Moscow is clear: Europe may be invited to the table, but only after it accepts Russia’s terms.
