Moscow has indicated it may allow European representatives to join upcoming negotiations on Ukraine, suggesting the EU could participate in the next round of peace talks. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that Russia would not dictate who should represent the EU, despite previously claiming EU officials “had no business” being involved.
Peskov told local media on Saturday that Russia does not wish to impose conditions on the EU’s negotiating team and emphasised the need for discussions to understand how European positions might aid the peace process.
This marks a significant change in Russia’s stance towards Brussels. Since launching its invasion of Ukraine in February 2024, Russia has accused Europe of exacerbating the conflict by supporting Kyiv.
On Tuesday, US, Ukrainian, and Russian negotiators held trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi without European representatives. However, US envoy Jared Kushner later announced that Russia had agreed to include European participants in the next round of talks. Following this, EU leaders confirmed that Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, and EU institutions would represent Europe.
