US presses Russia to include Europe in Ukraine peace talks

US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner pressed Russia on Thursday to include European representatives in Ukraine peace talks, personally raising the issue with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. The US officials previously proposed European participation during trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi this week. European leaders remain divided, with France's Emmanuel Macron calling for a unified vision first and Germany's Friedrich Merz prioritizing Russian willingness to engage. Russia has shown little interest, with negotiator Vladimir Medinsky citing no concrete European peace proposals. Putin rejected potential troop deployments by a European-led coalition, warning foreign forces would be legitimate targets. Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky urged European partners to closely monitor US-Russia discussions on a new continental security framework.