Witkoff: Putin agreed to allow Europe into the next round of talks on Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed to allow European representatives into the next round of talks on Ukraine, US special envoy Steve Witkoff said after a meeting in the Kremlin. According to him, Europe will get a seat at the table in the next round.

Witkoff told Russian state television that the Europeans would join at the next meeting, which the American side considers a "very important moment," and added that this is necessary because the Europeans are partners and their participation matters to all sides.

Witkoff and US presidential special envoy Jared Kushner then flew to Ireland and met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was in Dublin for a European summit. Zelensky said he was pleased at the prospect of new rounds of talks and of Europe's participation in them.

At the same time, signs of new tension emerged: Zelensky said the new restrictions affect the American satellite communications that Kyiv uses on the battlefield, and called the US approach "a little strange," in which a new European security architecture is being discussed with Russia.

During the Kremlin talks, Kushner told Putin that Washington had registered a "big change" on the European side, and expressed confidence that broadening the talks to include the Europeans would not hinder progress.

Putin said Moscow had always been open to dialogue with the EU on Ukraine, but made clear that serious disagreements remain. According to him, "Moscow was never against dialogue with Europe" and never interrupted it, unlike the Europeans, who, in the Russian leader's view, broke off dialogue with the Russian Federation. He warned that the European idea of sending Western troops into Ukraine after a peace agreement is concluded would lead to a resumption of war, since Russia would perceive it as a threat to its security.

Putin addressed the American administration, urging it to work with European allies so that "they finally make up their minds about what they want," and noted that the choice is between peace and war in Ukraine.

Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov did not confirm at a briefing that the Europeans would join the next round, and called their current position on Ukraine "a recipe for endless war."

After brief talks with the two American envoys in Ireland, Zelensky welcomed the news that the Europeans would be present at the next round, and expressed hope that the agenda would include steps toward a ceasefire and de-escalation. "It is important that everything be unblocked," he said. According to him, the participants in the talks decided to work on an agenda of de-escalation and ceasefires, and he expressed hope for such an agenda, stressing its importance.

The two-day trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi were the first direct talks between Russia and Ukraine mediated by the United States in nine months. Moscow and Kyiv reported some progress but said serious disagreements remain, including on territorial issues: Russia controls about one fifth of Ukraine's territory, and Kyiv refuses to give up the rest of the Donbas.

Earlier on Thursday, Zelensky said the disruptions to Starshield satellite communications are significant and affect the entire front line and the parts of Ukraine controlled by Russia. Starshield is the military version of SpaceX's Starlink satellite communications; similar disruptions occurred last month as well. Zelensky expressed concern that "so far we know very little" about the causes of the disruptions, but noted that it is clear that if American officials make decisions that treat Ukrainian territory as non-Ukrainian, that indicates the direction of policy. In a post on Telegram, he said system restrictions are reducing Starshield's operating speed. SpaceX declined to comment.

In Moscow, Putin proposed a joint Russian-Ukrainian humanitarian mission to Konstantinovka in eastern Ukraine, which he said Moscow controls; Ukraine has previously disputed that claim, saying it maintains a presence there. According to Putin, the mission could be modeled on an initiative that late last month allowed residents to leave the Russian-controlled town of Oleshky in southern Ukraine and allowed aid to be delivered to those in need. Demining the area, he said, would take five days, and 400-500 residents remain in the city. The mission, he added, would let the world understand who controls the city. Ushakov said the American envoys supported the idea and would stay in contact with Russia on the matter.

Kyiv has expressed concerns that Moscow could use ceasefires for such missions to give its army time to regroup.

Moscow has not achieved significant territorial gains this year, but has actively attacked Ukrainian infrastructure, while Kyiv has regularly struck Russian oil refineries with drones, causing fuel shortages in the summer; this week, according to local officials, the problem has resurfaced in some regions.

Putin shows no readiness to soften his territorial demands, including a buffer zone in parts of Ukraine that Russia has not formally declared its own. On Thursday he said the only meaningful demarcation line with Ukraine should be the border Russia considers its state border, which apparently signals his determination to take full control of all four Ukrainian regions that Moscow calls annexed in 2022.