Europe to Join Next Russia-Ukraine Peace Talks, Zelensky Says

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Europe will join the next round of peace negotiations with Russia, following Russian President Vladimir Putin's agreement to include a European delegation. Zelensky made the statement after meeting with US negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff in Dublin, who had earlier spoken with Putin. He emphasized Europe's presence is crucial because the war is happening in Europe and Ukraine seeks EU membership, requiring both prosperity and security guarantees. It remains unclear who will represent Europe at the talks, with no obvious candidate yet. US mediators reportedly pressured Russia to engage Europe, hoping European governments would then be more willing to make security agreements with the Kremlin.