The Independent: Russia Would Allow Europe in Ukraine Peace Talks, but at a Price

Russia is prepared to allow European countries to take part in peace talks on the war in Ukraine, but only on conditions that could weaken Europe's defences and the unity of NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organization) in the long run. This is according to the British newspaper The Independent, in a report dated 15 November 2026.

Moscow's demands

The paper says the Kremlin expects Europe to accept the territorial claims of Russian President Vladimir Putin in Ukraine and to give up security guarantees for Kyiv in case of a new invasion. Europe would also have to drop the deployment of foreign troops in Ukraine and agree to significant limits on NATO forces and missiles in Eastern Europe.

Putin demands that Russia be given all four eastern Ukrainian regions that Moscow has illegally annexed, even though it does not fully control them. The Kremlin also insists that Ukraine stay outside military alliances, reduce its army and ban foreign troops from its territory.

Peskov's statement and the US envoys' visit

Moscow's position was set out on Friday by Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov. He said a decision on broader talks could be taken only once Russia understood Europe's true intentions and its readiness to support the peace process. The statement followed a meeting between Putin and Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, envoys of US President Donald Trump, after which the American side suggested that Putin had agreed to European involvement.

The paper judges that Moscow used the talks with US representatives to its advantage and persuaded the Trump administration that it is winning the war, although this does not match the real situation. According to The Independent, Kushner and Witkoff made little effort to secure a European presence, relied on Kremlin interpreters during the meeting and did not bring in subject experts.

Europe's response

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas has criticised the Trump administration's stance, which in her view consistently backs Russia's territorial claims. She said: "Finally Jared Kushner has acknowledged what I have been saying for a year and a half – any agreement between Russia and Ukraine also requires European involvement." Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stressed that a new European security architecture must not be built just because Putin or a US representative wants it.

The paper adds that Russia also wants separate bilateral deals with Eastern European, Baltic and Northern European countries. In the short term this might look attractive to some governments, as it would let them cut defence spending, but it could significantly weaken Europe's collective security.