Russia indicates Europe will be involved in Ukraine peace talks

Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested that while Europe will eventually play a role in peace talks surrounding the Ukraine conflict, it's still too early to make substantial progress.

Speaking in a recent interview (via Reuters), Putin emphasised the necessity of first building trust between the United States and Russia, the key players at this stage. Although Ukrainian and European leaders were left out of initial discussions in Saudi Arabia, Putin made it clear that once a resolution begins to take shape, European involvement will be crucial.

He also revealed that there is an openness to discussing deep cuts in military spending with the United States, with a potential for China to join the negotiations later. Despite some optimism from United States President Donald Trump about a swift end to the war, Putin's statements suggest the road to peace could remain long. For now, it remains to be seen how quickly diplomacy can make headway in ending the war.