U.S. seeks European role in Ukraine peace talks

U.S. negotiators plan to push for a change in how peace talks for the war in Ukraine are structured. The administration wants to include European leaders in discussions that have so far been limited to Russia, Ukraine, and the United States. This shift would alter the diplomatic landscape for a conflict that has lasted nearly five years.

White House aides Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are meeting with officials from Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and Italy in the United Arab Emirates. They will also meet with representatives from NATO and the European Union. These sessions are scheduled to occur before the primary talks with Russian and Ukrainian officials on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Russian officials have previously resisted European participation. They have insisted that negotiations remain strictly a trilateral format. The last three-way talks took place in Geneva in February. However, a U.S. official speaking on condition of anonymity said the administration believes strongly that ending the war requires Europe at the table.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated on Monday that the U.S. team has placed collective security at the top of the agenda. This concept covers a wider area than just the two warring nations. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov reiterated that the meeting would focus on trilateral negotiations with the U.S. mediating. He noted that Americans and Ukrainians are establishing their own methods of coordination with Europeans.

Ukraine’s lead negotiator, Rustem Umerov, said European officials will hold separate coordination sessions with the Kyiv delegation. Moscow stated that European representatives would not be directly involved in the Abu Dhabi discussions. European officials confirmed that representatives would be present in the country.

President Donald Trump told CBS News on Sunday that Moscow and Kyiv are very close to a deal. He acknowledged tremendous hatred between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Trump said Ukraine would have a slightly different shape under any settlement but did not provide further details. His comments come as Democrats take control of the U.S. Congress in January, a change that could influence future support for Ukraine.

Talks proceed while physical combat continues. Russian forces targeted four electrical substations in the Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Cherkasy, and Vinnytsia regions on Monday. Russia’s Defense Ministry said the attacks aim to deny civilians heating and water during winter. Ukrainian air force officials reported that Russia launched 317 drones overnight, including 105 jet-powered models.

Zelenskyy announced on Monday that the European Union agreed to activate a special emergency mechanism for power grid repairs. This funding will help address the damage from recent aerial attacks. The moves aim to stabilize Ukraine’s infrastructure as the war enters its fifth year.

Ukrainian forces also struck back on Monday. Long-range drones hit the KINEF oil refinery near St. Petersburg. Leningrad Governor Alexander Drozdenko confirmed the incident. The refinery is one of Russia’s largest and sits more than 1,200 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. Ukraine said in early October that its strikes had neutralized more than half of Russia’s oil refining capacity.

Ukrainian forces also targeted a plant near St. Petersburg that produces solid rocket propellant for Iskander-M ballistic missiles. The General Staff said the strike aimed to reduce Russia’s ability to fire these missiles. Kyiv faces a shortage of U.S.-made Patriot air defense systems, which are needed to intercept ballistic missiles once they are in the air.