Putin has declared accused continental leaders of trying to scupper his peace talks with the US.
(Photo by Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Putin has declared accused continental leaders of trying to scupper his peace talks with the US.
(Photo by Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Russia is prepared to go to war with Europe, Vladimir Putin has declared, as he accused continental leaders of trying to scupper his peace talks with the US.
Hours before meeting Donald Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner at the Kremlin, the Russian President said European tweaks to aplan to end the war in Ukraine were “unacceptable”.
Russia and the US had agreed to a 28-point plan, which France said amounted to a “capitulation” for Ukraine. It included halving the size of the Ukrainian army, banning the country from joining Nato and handing Putin back most of Russia’s frozen assets, as well as full ownership over the Donbas regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.
European leaders, including Emmanuel Macron and Giorgia Meloni, opposed any text that makes decisions about frozen Russian assets, Nato or EU membership without their permission.
US officials worked over the weekend with Ukraine and Europe to find an acceptable middle ground and have watered the plan down to be more palatable to Kyiv.
“Russia has no intention of going to war with European countries, but if Europe starts a war, Russia is ready right now and then Moscow will have nobody to negotiate with.
“Europe has no peace agenda and is now hindering US efforts to resolve the conflict,” Putin added.
Hours before meeting with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Donald Trump's envoys, at the Kremlin, the Russian President said European tweaks to a plan to end the war in Ukraine were "unacceptable". Photo / Getty Images
His comments are designed to drive a further wedge between Trump and the continent.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine’s president, called for “peace without humiliation” during his first official visit to Ireland.
Zelenskyy also said he was confident that Ukraine would “stand alongside Ireland in the European Union as equals”.
It is understood that the thorniest issues in the peace plan, including security guarantees, territorial concessions and Nato membership, have been left blank in the latest version of the strategy, to be filled out only after direct talks between Zelenskyy and Trump.
Witkoff and Kushner are expected to meet the Ukrainian leader in either the Irish capital or Brussels after concluding talks with Putin in Moscow.
The US delegation arrived at the Kremlin on Tuesday afternoon (local time) after sweeping through the city in a motorcade of blacked-out limousines and police cars.
It was Witkoff’s sixth meeting with the Russian President this year and Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, said the talks would last “as long as it takes”.
Kushner and Witkoff have emerged as key figures in the Trump administration after helping to negotiate an end to the war in Gaza this year.
Earlier, the pair were spotted walking through the streets of the Russian capital towards the Red Square with Kirill Dmitriev after dining at a Michelin-starred restaurant.
State media published footage of the trio, noting a particular closeness between Witkoff and Dmitriev, Putin’s Ukrainian-born lead envoy in talks with the US, who was wearing a Russian-flagged sports coat.
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