Russia has still not agreed to representatives of the European Union joining the talks to end the war in Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. The discussions are being held with the mediation of the United States.
Earlier, Volodymyr Zelensky said that the EU would participate in the next round of peace talks. The Ukrainian president made the statement after a meeting with US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff in Dublin.
Moscow Sets Condition for an Expanded Format
Peskov said that the Russian side first needs to clarify the intentions of the European representatives and whether they are ready to contribute to the peace process.
Thus, Moscow did not confirm Zelensky’s statement that the European Union would participate in the next round. Peskov’s statement suggests that any expansion of the format still depends on a Russian decision.
Kallas: Russia Will Not Decide Who Represents Europe
The EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, rejected Moscow’s position. Upon arriving for the summit in Dublin, she said that Russia would not determine who represents Europe in the talks.
“They don’t decide,” Kallas said. “They do not want a strong party on the other side of the negotiating table because they want to push through the maximum of their demands.”It remains unclear for now whether the next round will be held with the participation of European representatives. The positions of Moscow and the EU show that the composition and format of the talks are among the contentious issues ahead of the continuation of the discussions.
Sources: bta.bg