Putin says EU needed in war talks; wants to build trust with US first

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

The United Nations Security Council on Monday adopted a US-drafted resolution that takes a neutral position on the conflict. The resolution was adopted with 10 votes in favour, while France, Britain, Denmark, Greece and Slovenia abstained.

Putin told Russian state television that 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.

“But it was not discussed in detail,” he said in an interview. “We only agreed that we would move toward this. And in this case, of course, we are not refusing the participation of European countries.”

The Kremlin, asked about an assertion by Trump that Russia was open to European peacekeepers being deployed in Ukraine, referred reporters to an earlier statement that such a move would be unacceptable to Moscow.

Russia has repeatedly said it opposes having NATO troops on the ground in Ukraine, with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov saying last week that Moscow would view that as a “direct threat” to Russia’s sovereignty, even if the troops operated there under a different flag.

Meanwhile, Putin also said he approved a suggestion that Russia and the United States could discuss deep cuts, of as much as half, in military spending. “The idea seems like a good one to me. The US reduces theirs by 50% and we reduce ours by 50%. And China could join us later if it wishes,” he said.

Peace should not amount to surrender by Ukraine: Macron

French President Emmanuel Macron said Trump and he took “substantive steps forward” during their meeting on Monday (local time), emphasising their shared desire to build peace — but warning that it won't happen if Ukraine is forced to surrender, CNN reported.

“This peace must not mean a surrender of Ukraine. It must not mean a ceasefire without guarantees. This peace must allow for Ukrainian sovereignty,” Macron said.