Russia denies agreeing to European role in Ukraine peace talks

Russia denied Friday that it has already agreed to European participation in negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, after Ukrainian and US officials announced Europe would be involved in upcoming talks. The Kremlin said Europeans met separately with Ukraine in Abu Dhabi this week but did not join US-organized sessions, and Moscow must first understand their "true intentions" before deciding on a broader format. President Volodymyr Zelensky and US envoy Jared Kushner had both stated Europe would join future discussions. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov showed conditional openness, noting Russia is ready to talk if Europeans have a properly authorized representative. President Vladimir Putin urged Washington to clarify whether Europe wants peace or war, while European leaders debate who should represent them, with Finland's Alexander Stubb and EU officials Kaja Kallas and António Costa among potential candidates.