Russia Sets Conditions for European Role in Ukraine Peace Talks

Russia is open to European participation in Ukraine peace talks, but only if it recognizes a sincere willingness from them to contribute to the peace process, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov on Friday. He stated that a decision on expanded-format dialogue would be possible once that readiness is evident. Peskov's remarks came in response to questions about resuming negotiations with European representatives alongside Ukraine, Russia, and the US, indicating Moscow has not yet committed to including Europeans in the next round. This contradicts US negotiators, who said Thursday that President Vladimir Putin had agreed to their participation. Separately, Russia said it is ready for a humanitarian operation to evacuate civilians from the eastern Ukrainian city of Kostjantyniwka, contingent on adequate security guarantees and following a model used in Oleschky in October. Peskov urged the US to use its influence on Ukraine to secure Kyiv's approval for the mission.