Moscow Signals Readiness to Accept European Delegations in Ukraine Peace Talks

Moscow has indicated that it will not oppose the participation of European Union representatives in future peace negotiations concerning the war in Ukraine. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated on Saturday that Russia has no intention of dictating who should represent European nations at the negotiating table.

According to Peskov, setting conditions for the European delegation would be an improper approach to the discussions. He noted that Russian representatives first need to speak directly with European officials to determine how their position could potentially support the peace process. The statement marks a change from Moscow's prior stance, where Russian officials had previously asserted that European representatives should not take part in the talks and accused European nations of extending the conflict by providing support to Kyiv.

The development follows trilateral negotiations held on Tuesday in Abu Dhabi, which brought together representatives from the United States, Ukraine, and Russia without European involvement. Following those initial discussions, United States envoy Jared Kushner announced on Thursday that Moscow had agreed to expand the next round of negotiations to include European participants.

In response to the proposal, European leaders met on Friday and agreed on the structure of their representation for the upcoming discussions. The agreed delegation will include representatives from Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and Poland, as well as officials representing European Union institutions.

Written by Andreas Hofer andreas.hofer@alpineweekly.com