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US demands a seat for Europe at Ukraine peace talks
POLITICO.eu • • general
Key Points:
- Donald Trump’s envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are urging Russia to include European representatives in upcoming Ukraine peace talks, aiming for Europe’s direct involvement after the current trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi.
- European governments face pressure to quickly decide who will represent them at the negotiation table, as U.S. officials emphasize the necessity of Europe’s participation in future discussions.
- The talks will focus initially on Ukraine’s security guarantees and the reshaping of European security architecture, followed by discussions on territorial boundaries involving Russian-occupied areas.
- European leaders remain divided over engaging directly with Russia and who should speak for Europe, with an informal EU summit in Dublin planned to address these issues amid concerns about potential NATO influence rollbacks.
- U.S. officials stress that NATO will remain central to European defense despite the need for a new security framework, and both sides have shown private flexibility on territorial disputes, aiming to maintain momentum rather than finalize a ceasefire this week.
