Moscow softens stance on EU role in Ukraine peace talks

Moscow has signaled it will not oppose European representatives participating in Ukraine peace negotiations, marking a shift from its previous insistence that EU delegates had no place at the table. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Moscow cannot and does not want to set conditions for the EU's negotiating team. Peskov stated Saturday that Moscow should first speak with European representatives to understand whether their position could contribute to the peace process. The change follows trilateral US-Ukraine-Russia talks in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, from which Europeans were excluded, and US envoy Jared Kushner's Thursday announcement that Russia agreed to expand the next round. Russia, which launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2024, has previously accused Europe of prolonging the war by supporting Kyiv. EU leaders agreed Friday that Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and EU institutions would represent Europe in the talks.