Europe should be included in Ukraine peace discussions, Kremlin aide says

Zelensky said on Friday that peace negotiators from Ukraine, Russia, and the US had agreed to meet at a technical level in the first half of November in Abu Dhabi.

Europe should be included in discussions on a peace settlement in Ukraine because its position could be crucial, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov ​said on Sunday.

The US has been unable to put pressure on Kyiv to agree to a peace deal, Ushakov said in an interview with state television correspondent Pavel Zarubin.

"Before, it seemed after Anchorage that the US administration might be able to dictate something and force Kyiv to comply. But so far, this hasn't really worked out," Ushakov said, referring to a 2025 meeting in Anchorage between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"That's because it's not enough to talk only to Kyiv; we need to talk to the whole of Europe, which fully supports Kyiv."

EU makes cautious approaches to Russia

After initially leaving it to Trump to try to broker an end to Russia's war in Ukraine, the EU has made cautious approaches to Russia. The leaders of Britain, Germany and France have said they support a proposal for talks between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Putin to secure a ceasefire, and that Europe would play a role.

Russia, meanwhile, has said it would be open to dialogue but not ultimatums.

On Sunday, Ushakov said Russia was ready to resume three-way peace talks with Ukraine and the US after Russia's National Unity Day on November 4, echoing Kremlin comments this week that Putin's willing to resume US-mediated talks with Ukraine as soon as next month.

Zelensky said on Friday that peace negotiators from Ukraine, Russia and the US had agreed to meet at a technical level in the first half of November in Abu Dhabi, adding that he hoped a meeting of their leaders would follow.

Ushakov also commented on a potential meeting between Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Trump, saying that preparations had already started. The proposed meeting is set to be held on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in China over November 18-19.

Ushakov said a separate meeting between Putin and Trump in Shenzhen had not been agreed upon.