Putin accuses European leaders of sabotaging Trump-led peace efforts in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday accused European leaders of obstructing US-led efforts to negotiate an end to the nearly four-year war in Ukraine, sharpening his rhetoric as he hosted a US delegation in Moscow.

The remarks came as high-stakes talks involving Washington, Kyiv and European partners accelerate in an attempt to revise a contentious Trump-era peace plan.

Speaking at an investment forum before meeting US envoy Steve Witkoff and presidential adviser Jared Kushner in the Kremlin, Putin alleged that European countries were undermining negotiations intended to halt the conflict.

"They don't have a peace agenda, they're on the side of the war," he said. He accused Europe of inserting "demands that are absolutely unacceptable to Russia" into proposed frameworks and then blaming Moscow for the lack of progress. "That's their goal," Putin said.

The Russian leader also repeated that Moscow has no intention of attacking Europe, despite concerns voiced by several EU governments. "But if Europe suddenly wants to wage a war with us and starts it, we are ready right away," he warned.

Russia attacked Ukraine in February 2022. European governments have since spent billions on military, financial and humanitarian support for Kyiv while moving to cut off Russian energy and strengthen their own defence capabilities.

US DELEGATION ARRIVES AMID GROWING TENSIONS

Putin's meeting with Witkoff and Kushner follows weeks of reporting that Washington and Moscow opened direct channels as the Trump administration pushes to refine its peace plan. Speaking through a translator, Witkoff called Moscow a "magnificent city," saying he and Kushner had taken "a beautiful walk" before their talks.

European governments fear Russia is using the diplomatic process to deflect blame, divide allies and secure concessions in Ukraine.

Witkoff and Kushner's Moscow visit follows Sunday's session in Florida between US and Ukrainian officials, where Trump's original 28-point plan was reduced to 20. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the talks made progress but "there's more work to be done." Zelenskyy said the Florida meeting built on a document drafted earlier in Geneva, which he described as now "finalized".

Ukrainian diplomats, he said, are working to ensure that European partners are "substantially involved" in key decisions while countering what he described as Russian disinformation meant to pressure negotiators and weaken European unity.

- Ends

With inputs from agenices

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