By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed Thursday, Nov. 12, to allow European representatives to participate in the next round of negotiations concerning the war in Ukraine, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff announced following a meeting with the Russian leader at the Kremlin.
Witkoff, who met with Putin alongside Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, said arrangements had been made to resume negotiations involving Russia, Ukraine and the United States, with European officials joining the discussions.
“The Europeans will join at the next meeting, which we think is a very big deal, because it’s important. They are our partners, and it’s important for them to be involved,” Witkoff said.
According to Reuters reporting published Nov. 13, Witkoff announced the agreement after the American delegation completed its meeting with Putin. The discussions followed negotiations in Abu Dhabi involving American, Russian and Ukrainian representatives.
Witkoff said the latest diplomatic efforts had produced an agreement to convene another round of talks.
“I think progress was made. I think it was made earlier today,” Witkoff said. “People didn’t think that we were going to restart trilateral. We’ve restarted it. We’ve set a new meeting.”
Kushner, who participated in the Kremlin meeting, said the discussions covered the principal issues involved in efforts to end the war and could contribute to subsequent negotiations involving additional countries.
“I think overall, (we’ve had) very fulsome and detailed discussions on all the topics, which I think will inform hopefully the next multilateral discussions,” Kushner said.
The announcement followed two days of negotiations in Abu Dhabi, where representatives from Russia, Ukraine and the United States discussed possible arrangements for ending the conflict. European delegations were also present during the diplomatic meetings but did not participate directly in the Russia-Ukraine negotiations.
According to Interfax-Ukraine, the Abu Dhabi discussions marked the first trilateral negotiations of their kind since February. Ukrainian officials reported progress on some matters but did not announce a resolution of the principal disputes.
During Thursday’s Kremlin meeting, Kushner told Putin that Washington had observed a change in European governments’ approach to negotiations and expressed confidence that their participation would not obstruct further discussions.
Putin responded that Russia had not opposed dialogue with European governments but maintained that those governments were responsible for ending diplomatic engagement with Moscow.
“As far as the Europeans are concerned, we have never been opposed to engaging in dialogue with Europe, and we have never broken off that dialogue. It was they who broke off the dialogue with the Russian Federation,” Putin said.
The Russian president also called on Washington to clarify the objectives of its European allies regarding the conflict.
“We would very much like you, gentlemen, and the US administration as a whole, to work with your European allies so that they can finally make up their minds as to what they want: peace or war in Ukraine,” Putin said.
Despite Witkoff’s announcement, Russian officials expressed reservations about whether European participation would contribute to a settlement.
Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov questioned the prospects for direct negotiations between Russia and European governments, pointing to continued European military assistance to Ukraine.
According to Euronews, Ushakov said European governments needed to determine their position on the conflict before meaningful discussions could proceed.
“So far, all their practical actions point precisely to the latter,” Ushakov said, referring to Putin’s distinction between pursuing peace and continuing the war.
The disagreement reflects continuing differences over military assistance to Ukraine and the security arrangements that would accompany a possible peace agreement.
Ukraine and several European governments have sought guarantees intended to prevent further Russian military action following a settlement. Proposals have included continued Western military assistance and the possible deployment of European personnel to Ukraine.
Russia has opposed the deployment of European troops as part of postwar security arrangements.
During Thursday’s discussions, Putin reiterated that Moscow would regard European military forces deployed in Ukraine as a threat to Russian security and warned that their presence could lead to renewed hostilities.
The Kremlin has also sought broader negotiations over Europe’s security arrangements, including Russia’s longstanding objections to NATO expansion and Western military deployments near Russian territory.
European governments have expressed concerns that negotiations addressing those issues could affect their own security interests and the ability of individual countries to determine their defense arrangements.
The Washington Post reported that Russia had not independently confirmed an agreement to negotiate directly with European representatives, despite Witkoff’s announcement.
The distinction leaves questions about the format and scope of the next meeting, including which European governments will participate and whether their representatives will negotiate directly with Russian officials.
Following their meeting in Moscow, Witkoff and Kushner were expected to travel to Dublin, Ireland, to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and brief him on their discussions with Putin.
The diplomatic meetings come as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, launched in February 2022, approaches its fifth anniversary.
Although negotiations have resumed, Moscow and Kyiv remain divided over territorial control, security guarantees and the conditions required for a ceasefire or permanent settlement.
Putin’s reported agreement to European participation represents a change in the announced negotiating format, but no comprehensive peace agreement or ceasefire was announced following Thursday’s Kremlin meeting.
The date, location and participants for the next round of negotiations have not been fully confirmed.
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