EU's pivotal role in Ukraine peace talks with US and Russia
The European Union will need to be involved in the discussions to resolve the conflict in Ukraine, announced the U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio. In his view, the negotiations should take into account the interests of Ukraine, Russia, and the European Union.
At a press conference following discussions with the Russians in Riyadh, the U.S. Secretary of State stressed that the European Union has imposed sanctions on Russia, which makes its future involvement in the negotiations essential.
"Rubio said that the European Union, which had been sidelined from Tuesday’s talks, would 'have to be at the table at some point,' because they have sanctioned Russia over its war in Ukraine," reported CNN. Secretary Rubio simultaneously dismissed suggestions that Europe had been excluded from the negotiations, emphasising that the outcome must be "fair, enduring, sustainable and acceptable."
The U.S. speeds up talks but consults allies
National Security Advisor Mike Waltz noted that the United States engages in daily consultations with both Ukraine and its allies. However, he stressed that Washington intends to act swiftly to bring the conflict to a conclusion.
– The goal is to bring an end to this conflict in a way that’s fair, enduring, sustainable and acceptable to all parties involved – summarised Rubio.
On Tuesday in the Saudi Arabian capital, Riyadh, the first high-level meeting between delegations from the United States and Russia since the start of the war in Ukraine took place. The talks concentrated on rebuilding bilateral relations and preparing for potential peace negotiations regarding Ukraine.
Neither Ukraine nor the European Union received an invitation to the talks, leading to significant outrage in Kyiv and across most European capitals. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky declared that he would not recognise the outcomes of the talks in Riyadh, as any negotiations concerning Ukraine are deemed pointless without Ukraine's involvement.
