Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US envoy Jared Kushner have said Europe would join the next round of talks with Russia, as President Vladimir Putin indicated Moscow will not compromise on its hardline demands to end almost five years of war.
In a packed day of shuttle diplomacy following negotiations in Abu Dhabi, Kushner and fellow envoy Steve Witkoff held over four hours of talks with Putin in the Kremlin on Thursday before jetting to debrief Zelenskyy in Dublin.
As they spoke to journalists on the tarmac of a military airbase in Ireland, the main piece of progress touted by the Ukrainian leader and US President Donald Trump's representative was that European negotiators would be at the table for future talks.
Zelenskyy said on Thursday that Europeans will take part rather than remain "separately" on the sidelines as they were in Abu Dhabi, insisting: "They will have a voice".
"We cannot conclude this deal without Europeans being at the table," Kushner said, adding that Putin was "willing to give it a try".
An EU official told AFP news agency representatives of five European capitals that the European Commission also met the US envoys, and that a new multilateral meeting "will be fixed soon".
No Russian confirmation
The Kremlin did not confirm Putin had agreed to include Europe in future talks, which Kiev and its allies have long been seeking.
Instead, the Russian leader had earlier told the US duo he would not water down demands to control parts of Ukraine that Russia claims to have annexed and ruled out agreeing to foreign peacekeeping troops in Ukraine — a deployment he said would be a "continuation of war".
Putin's comments appeared to douse hopes a peace deal could be getting nearer.
As the United States has pushed for Europe to be allowed at the table, Moscow has sought to reframe talks as part of a wider discussion about European security.
Kiev and European leaders have insisted there is no need to rewrite the arrangements underpinning the continent's security, and said Russia must first stop hostilities.
In the Irish capital for a summit of European leaders, Zelenskyy meanwhile said fresh restrictions on the Starshield satellite internet service were hampering Ukraine's ability to intercept Russia's jet-drones, meaning "more of our people are killed".
No 'grey' zones
Usually held behind closed doors, the Kremlin chose to televise a lengthy opening exchange between Putin and the US envoys.
The Russian leader rejected talk of a possible territorial settlement involving "grey" — or demilitarised — zones between Ukrainian and Russian positions.
"For us, there is only one line of demarcation: the state border. Because then it will be clear and obvious: here are we, and here are you," he said.
Zelenskyy also said that the next round of talks with Russia should include steps towards ceasefires.
"We decided that we will work on an agenda about any kind of de-escalation, some kind of ceasefires... I hope that we will have such agenda. Yes, this is important," Zelenskyy said.
