Photo: EPA/UPG
The Kremlin has confirmed that the recent meeting between representatives of the United States, Ukraine and a number of European countries in Paris was a platform for discussing the state of negotiations on a possible peaceful settlement of the war in Ukraine. According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Thursday, the key role in the meeting was played by US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Vitkoff, Russian media reported.
“The US continues to work in this direction with both Europeans and Ukrainians,” Peskov said.
“Unfortunately, on the part of the Europeans, we see a focus not on peace, but on continuing the war,” he added.
According to Peskov, Vladimir Putin had a lengthy conversation with Vitkoff in St Petersburg last week. According to Russian state media, the talks lasted more than four hours.
Visit of the Ukrainian delegation to Paris
At the same time, it became known that high-ranking Ukrainian officials arrived in Paris on an unannounced visit to present their position to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Witkoff himself. The meeting was attended by European diplomats and, according to sources, was aimed at strengthening coordination between the allies amid US diplomatic initiatives.
This diplomatic phase demonstrates the growing concern in Europe about potential concessions by Washington to Moscow, as Trump’s previous attempts to negotiate a ceasefire with the Kremlin have not yet yielded results.
Trump wants peace, but the Kremlin is sceptical
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly stated that he wants to put an end to the “bloodshed” in Ukraine, but no breakthrough has been achieved in the negotiations. Moscow has acknowledged that it will be difficult to reach an agreement, especially against the backdrop of the West’s reluctance to make concessions on Ukraine’s sovereignty.
Putin’s recent meetings with Vitkoff indicate Washington’s intensive attempts to intensify unofficial channels of communication, although the lack of public results is causing distrust among NATO allies.
The situation indicates that the war is entering a new phase of diplomatic balancing, where Ukraine, the US and Europe are trying to synchronise their positions against the backdrop of Trump’s increasingly open contacts with Moscow.
