Ukraine to Hold War Talks With US and Russia Without Europe

Ukraine will hold technical peace talks with the United States and Russia in November without European representatives, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday.

The meeting is scheduled to take place between November 6 and November 10. It will involve technical groups from the three nations working on ending the war. Europe will not have a seat at this specific table.

The exclusion of Europe comes after Russian aide Dmitry Ushakov stated that the continent would not participate in the trilateral talks. Zelenskyy acknowledged that Russia does not support European presence at these sessions.

Despite the limited format, Zelenskyy said Kyiv is using the opportunity to move the process forward. "Of course, I think it is important for Europe to be there," he said. "But if the Americans say no, [and that] this time we will only have a trilateral meeting, we will not ruin this opportunity to meet."

The president stressed that the trilateral format is not new. He noted that previous attempts at such a format were blocked, but the path is now clear. "It was blocked before, and now it has been unblocked," he added.

Zelenskyy argued that Europe remains central to the long-term outcome. He pointed to security guarantees and reconstruction efforts as areas where European involvement is necessary. "I do not see this happening without Europe," he said. "After all, we are talking about reconstruction."

He said Ukraine is still working on how to involve the continent in future steps. More clarity is needed on who will represent Europe in the broader negotiations. The next move depends on the United States, as Zelenskyy said the early November meeting hinges on American decisions.