Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed to allow European representatives to take part in the next round of talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff said in Moscow.
“Europeans will join the next meeting, which we consider an extremely important moment, because they are our partners and their participation is important to us,” Witkoff told Russian state television after meeting Putin at the Kremlin.
During the meeting, Putin said Russia’s primary concern was the people living in the disputed territories, including their traditions, cultures and right to live according to what he described as their traditional values.
Putin also rejected the idea of establishing so-called “gray zones,” an issue he said had been raised by the Ukrainian side. He argued that Russia recognized only one line of separation — the state border — saying this would make clear which territory belonged to each side.
However, Putin reiterated Moscow’s opposition to the deployment of foreign troops in Ukraine, including as part of a postwar arrangement.
“From the very beginning, we have stated that the presence of any foreign troops on Ukrainian territory is absolutely unacceptable to us, because we believe it threatens the security of the Russian Federation,” Putin said.
He warned that any European forces deployed after a peace agreement would be considered legitimate targets by Russia, arguing that such a move would amount to a continuation of the war rather than a lasting peace.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that during negotiations in Abu Dhabi, the Russian delegation had no mandate to discuss a ceasefire. He added that the delegation had conveyed a message that Putin wanted to continue attacks on Ukrainian cities.
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
