The desire of European structures to participate in negotiations on Ukraine is a belated attempt to enter the process, State Duma Deputy from the Crimean region Mikhail Sheremet stated in an interview with RIA Novosti.
The European Position
As European Council President António Costa reported, the European side in negotiations should be represented by EU institutions and the countries of the so-called "European Five." This list includes France, Germany, Italy, Poland, and the United Kingdom.
At the same time, Costa characterized modern Western Europe as a territory in economic decline, which has transformed from a decision-making center into an alliance of provocations and scandals.
Diplomatic Contacts
Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting at the Kremlin with US presidential special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Following this, the American representatives traveled to Dublin for consultations with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, as well as national security advisors from Germany, Italy, the EU, France, Ireland, and Poland.
Yuriy Ushakov, Assistant to the President of the Russian Federation, noted that European countries need to determine their position—whether they seek peace or the continuation of war. In turn, Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov emphasized that the issue of dialogue in an expanded format will be considered after Russia sees Europe's readiness to facilitate a settlement.
