Putin says Europe is needed in Ukraine talks, but suggests deal remains distant

Europe's participation in Ukraine peace talks will be needed eventually, but Moscow first wants to build trust with Washington, Russia President Vladimir Putin said on Monday, while suggesting a deal to end the conflict may be far off.

As Ukraine marked the third anniversary on Monday of Russia's invasion that has killed thousands of civilians and displaced millions, US President Donald Trump suggested the war could end within weeks. But he did not elaborate.

Putin told Russian state television Trump was approaching the Russia-Ukraine conflict rationally and not emotionally, but gave the impression it might not end as soon as Trump would like.

His telephone conversation with Trump and recent talks between the US and Russia in Riyadh touched on the issue of resolution of the conflict in Ukraine, Putin said.

“But it was not discussed in detail,” he said in an interview.

“We only agreed we would move towards this. In this case, of course, we are not refusing the participation of European countries.”

Ukraine and Kyiv's European allies objected to not having been invited to the initial round of talks on Ukraine last week.

Putin said Europe had “nothing to do with” the talks in Riyadh as they were focused on establishing trust between Moscow and Washington, which he said was key.

“To resolve complex and rather acute issues, such as those related to Ukraine, Russia and the US must take the first step,” Putin said.

“What does it consist of? The first step should be devoted to increasing the level of trust between the two states. But what do the Europeans have to do with it?”

The next few rounds of talks and high-level contacts will be devoted to building trust, he said, but once the talks turn to reaching a settlement to the conflict, the presence of European partners will be logical.

“Their participation in the negotiating process is needed. We never rejected that. We held constant discussions with them.”

Michael Froman, president of the US council on foreign relations think-tank, said it would be a mistake for a ceasefire deal to come at the cost of the transatlantic alliance.

“To secure peace through strength, it would be in Trump's interest to work in tandem with our European partners, who will bear the burden of Ukraine's financial and economic survival,” he wrote in a note last week.

Putin also said he approved a suggestion that Russia and the US could discuss deep cuts, by as much as half, in military spending.

“We could come to an agreement with the US. We're not against that,” Putin said.

“The idea seems a good one to me. The US reduces theirs by 50% and we reduce ours by 50%. China could join us later if it wishes.”

Putin dismissed any notion that Trump's sharp alteration of Washington's policy on Ukraine, including criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and suggestions Kyiv might not recover all lost territory, was based on emotion.

Trump, he said, was acting logically and free of the constraints of promises to Ukraine made by European leaders.

“Unlike them, the new president of the US has his hands free from shackles that don't allow you to move forward,” he said.

“He is moving in a straightforward manner and without particular constraints. He is in a unique position. He doesn't just say what he thinks, he says what he wants. This is the privilege of the leader of one of the major powers.”

Reuters