EU leaders tussle over whom to send to Ukraine, Russia peace talks

US President Donald Trump’s envoy Jared Kushner and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Thursday that Europe would join future discussions with Russia, as Russian President Vladimir Putin insisted Moscow would not budge on its hardline demands to end nearly five years of war. Following negotiations in Abu Dhabi, Kushner and another envoy Steve Witkoff spoke with Putin for over four hours before delivering a briefing to Zelensky in Dublin.

The Ukrainian leader emphasized that Europeans will have a voice and insisted they cannot conclude a deal without their participation. However, the Kremlin did not confirm Putin’s agreement to include Europe, stating he was willing to give it a try. An EU official revealed that representatives from five European capitals, along with the European Commission, had met with the US envoys, and a new multilateral meeting would be scheduled soon.

Putin reiterated his stance on not compromising on controlling annexed Ukrainian territories and ruling out foreign peacekeeping troops, which doused hopes for a near-term peace deal. Zelensky highlighted that new restrictions on Starshield satellite internet service hinder Ukraine’s ability to intercept Russia’s jet-drones, leading to more casualties.

The Kremlin invited journalists to a televised exchange where Putin rejected the idea of demilitarized zones between Ukrainian and Russian positions, insisting there should only be a clear state border. Russia has occupied parts of eastern and southern Ukraine since 2022, including annexing Crimea in 2014 and other regions, all of which Kyiv and the West deem illegal.

Putin proposed a humanitarian mission to Kostyantynivka, where he claimed 400-500 civilians remained, modeling it after a ceasefire that allowed residents to flee Oleshky earlier in the month. European countries have expressed concerns over Russia reshaping Europe’s security architecture, with the US proposing a new framework, seemingly referring to Moscow’s demands to push back NATO and end Western support for Ukraine.