The Kremlin has clarified that the upcoming round of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in Geneva, Switzerland, will be held strictly in a trilateral format, excluding any European representatives.
"No, it's only a trilateral format, meaning Russia, America, and Ukraine. There won't be any Europeans there," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday in a briefing, dismissing the possibility of involvement of the EU or international organisations.
The talks, scheduled for Feb. 17-18, were previously confirmed by Peskov as the next step in a mediation process facilitated by Washington.
He added that Russia's delegation at the upcoming talks will be led by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky.
Russia and Ukraine held two rounds of US-mediated peace talks in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, in January and earlier this month. As a result, they agreed to the first exchange of war prisoners in five months.
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron said that once the conflict in Ukraine is settled, Europe will need to establish a new framework for living alongside Russia to prevent any future military escalation.
"If we reach a settlement on Ukraine, we will still have to contend with an aggressive Russia," he said at the Munich Security Conference. "We will have to define rules of coexistence that limit the risk of escalation."
