European leaders are pushing for a direct role in negotiations to end Russia's war in Ukraine, fearing that a U.S.-backed peace deal could leave the continent's security interests in the hands of Washington and Moscow.
The diplomatic push intensified Thursday after U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow before traveling to Dublin for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The meetings followed U.S.-mediated negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, marking the first direct discussions between the two sides in nine months.
Although the talks produced no major breakthrough, they resulted in an agreement in principle on a prisoner exchange that Zelenskyy described as the largest of the war so far. The exact number of prisoners involved has yet to be announced.
Zelenskyy said the discussions had offered hope of ending the conflict and welcomed assurances that European representatives would participate directly in the next round of negotiations.
"They will have a voice," he said in Dublin, stressing that European involvement was essential because the war was taking place on the continent and any settlement would directly affect its security.
Kushner also backed European participation, saying a peace agreement could not be concluded without European governments at the negotiating table.
However, Moscow has yet to approve an expanded format.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia would consider including European representatives once their intentions and willingness to contribute to the peace process became clear.
He also insisted that European countries first appoint an authorized representative.
Russia's lead negotiator in Abu Dhabi, Vladimir Medinsky, questioned the need for European involvement, claiming Moscow had not received any concrete peace proposals from European governments.
Europe struggles to agree on representation
The uncertainty has intensified pressure on European governments to appoint a representative capable of defending their interests in negotiations increasingly shaped by Washington, Moscow and Kyiv.
European Union leaders are debating whether to appoint a single envoy or establish a negotiating team, but disagreements remain over who should take the role and which countries should be represented.
Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin said the issue needed to be resolved within the next two weeks, arguing that representation should extend beyond the European Union to include other countries supporting Ukraine.
He pointed to the Coalition of the Willing, a group of more than two dozen countries that have pledged support for maintaining a future peace in Ukraine.
French President Emmanuel Macron warned that Europe could not afford to remain dependent on American decisions about its security.
"Without Europeans, there is no support for Ukraine. There is no more U.S. support," Macron said Thursday at a European Political Community gathering in Dublin.
"At the end of the day, we will be the ones to define and decide for our future security as Europeans," he added.
Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has supported appointing a common European representative, arguing that competing diplomatic initiatives have weakened the continent's influence.
Several candidates have emerged, including European Council President Antonio Costa, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and Finnish President Alexander Stubb.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has backed the existing diplomatic format involving France, Germany and Britain, known as the E3, describing it as a proven arrangement.
However, relying on the three countries could exclude smaller EU members, particularly those bordering Russia and Belarus that face growing security concerns.
Kallas has argued that European interests must be represented directly, saying the United States speaks for its own interests and Europe should do the same.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, meanwhile, questioned the value of the current negotiations, reflecting skepticism among countries in Central and Eastern Europe.
"In my opinion, calling them negotiations is an exaggeration," Tusk said Thursday, warning against allowing Russia or the United States to determine Europe's future security arrangements.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham rejected suggestions that Europe was being sidelined, saying European governments were determined to protect Zelenskyy throughout the negotiations.
Putin reiterates demands over NATO and foreign troops
Putin's meeting with Witkoff and Kushner lasted approximately two hours. His foreign policy aide, Yuri Ushakov, described the discussions as substantive, constructive and useful.
However, Putin reiterated Moscow's longstanding security demands, including its opposition to NATO's eastward expansion and any deployment of European troops in Ukraine following a ceasefire.
He warned that European forces stationed in Ukraine would be considered a security threat and a legitimate target, raising the prospect of renewed fighting.
Putin also reminded the American envoys of Russia's 2021 proposals demanding that NATO withdraw military deployments from Central and Eastern Europe. Moscow plans to update those proposals, Ushakov said.
Russia further insists that any peace agreement recognize its claims over four Ukrainian regions it declared annexed in 2022, despite never fully controlling them.
These demands have alarmed European governments, which fear that Washington could accept concessions that undermine Ukraine and weaken the continent's broader security arrangements.
Fighting and military tensions continue
Diplomatic efforts are unfolding as fighting continues along the approximately 1,200-kilometer (750-mile) front line.
Russian drone and missile attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure have disrupted electricity, heating and water supplies, with Kyiv accusing Moscow of exploiting winter conditions to undermine public morale.
Russia's Defense Ministry said its air defenses intercepted 71 Ukrainian drones overnight and claimed its forces struck a drone manufacturing facility in Kyiv and three other facilities producing missile fuel and drone components.
Ukraine's air force said Russia launched missiles and 123 drones, including 73 jet-powered drones, in overnight attacks. Strikes were recorded at 17 locations.
Zelenskyy also reported renewed disruptions to Ukraine's access to SpaceX's military-grade Starshield satellite communications system, which supports military operations alongside Starlink.
He said Ukrainian military units had experienced significant disruptions, including speed restrictions limiting drones to 161 kph (100 mph). A military investigation established that the restrictions were not accidental technical errors, he added.
Last month, similar limitations disrupted Ukrainian drone operations. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk acknowledged that his company had restricted Starlink services in Ukraine for about a week, arguing that the system should not be used for offensive strikes against Russia.
Separately, a Russian serviceman was killed Thursday when his vehicle exploded in St. Petersburg, according to the country's Investigative Committee. Russian outlet Fontanka reported that the victim was a colonel and that an explosive device detonated as he drove away.
Moscow has repeatedly blamed Ukraine for attacks targeting senior Russian military personnel, although Kyiv has not claimed responsibility for every incident.