Volodymyr Zelenskyy acknowledged that Europe's absence from negotiations with Russia was 'big mistake'
Photo: Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Getty Images)
Europe’s near-total absence from peace talks with Russia is a "major mistake" with negative consequences for Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said at the Munich Security Conference, according to EuroNews.
Also read: President Zelenskyy reveals central topic for peace talks in Geneva
"Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said it is a "big mistake" that European leaders are “practically not present at the table” in ongoing US-brokered negotiations to end the war with Russia," the outlet reports.
In his keynote speech in Munich, the Ukrainian president said Kyiv is working to ensure that "Europe’s interests and voice" are taken into account in the negotiations. He emphasized that any sustainable peace must reflect the security concerns of the entire continent, not just Ukraine and the United States.
According to the report, Zelenskyy’s comments echo those of French President Emmanuel Macron, who suggested that Europe will need to independently rethink the continent’s security architecture in the face of an aggressor seemingly intoxicated by the war.
The Ukrainian leader also voiced concern that discussions of "concessions" often focus solely on Ukraine, without seeking equivalent compromises from Russia.
“Too often those concessions are discussed in the context only of Ukraine, not Russia,” he added, suggesting that it risks rewarding aggression rather than deterring it. Europe’s absence from key conversations, he added, compounds that imbalance.
Zelenskyy noted that Europe’s absence from key negotiations exacerbates this imbalance.
Europe, too, is frustrated by being sidelined in the peace process. For example, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski argued that Europe must participate in peace talks, given that it finances weapons for Ukraine from which the US, the main negotiator, profits.
Recent reports indicate that Estonia and Latvia are pushing for Europe to return to the negotiating table on Ukraine.
While the EU previously participated in peace discussions, current talks are being conducted between the US, Ukraine, and Russia without European representation. The next round of negotiations is scheduled in Geneva on February 17–18.
