Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he welcomes a US suggestion to bring European representatives to the next round of peace talks with Russia, saying their presence was important for peace efforts.
Zelensky commented after his discussion with US presidential envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Dublin on Thursday. Earlier, the envoys met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, and the Russian leader had agreed to include European representatives in the next round, said Witkoff.
“The other thing is – of course, it is important that everything is unblocked,” Zelensky said, noting that Kyiv will come up with the agenda of “some kind of de-escalation, some kind of ceasefires”.
Witkoff said European involvement was a significant step forward, adding Washington viewed the European nations as key stakeholders in the talks.
But Putin said that the presence of Western soldiers in Ukraine after any peace agreement would be considered a threat to Russia’s security and that fighting might begin again.
The move comes after US-brokered talks between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators in Abu Dhabi earlier this week. They reached a deal on a large prisoner swap but made no breakthrough on ending the war.
Other challenges include territorial disputes with Russia, which currently occupies one-fifth of Ukraine.
