Putin "does not rule out" Europe's involvement in negotiations to end the war with Ukraine.

The Russian dictator Vladimir Putin claims that he is not opposed to the participation of European countries in negotiations to end the war with Ukraine. However, the Kremlin leader suggests that there is still a long way to go before an agreement is reached.

This was reported by RBK-Ukraine citing Reuters.

During an appearance on Russian state television, Putin praised the approach of U.S. President Donald Trump to the war between Russia and Ukraine, calling it "rational" rather than "emotional."

At the same time, the dictator created the impression that the Russian-Ukrainian war may not end as quickly as the American leader would hope.

According to Putin, his phone conversation with the U.S. President, as well as the recent talks between delegations from Washington and Moscow in Riyadh, concerned the issue of unleashing the war, but "this was not discussed in detail."

"We only agreed that we would move towards this. And in this case, of course, we do not reject the participation of European countries," the Kremlin leader told state propaganda media.

Putin also stated that Europe "has nothing to do" with the negotiations in Saudi Arabia, as they were focused on "building trust" between Moscow and Washington, which he claimed was the key issue.

"To resolve complex and quite acute issues, such as those related to Ukraine, both Russia and the U.S. must take the first step. What does this entail? This first step should be dedicated to increasing the level of trust between the two states," said the Russian dictator.

Additionally, Putin mentioned that the next several rounds of negotiations and high-level contacts will be devoted to strengthening this trust, but when the discussions move towards achieving a "settlement of the conflict," the presence of European partners will be logical.

"Their participation in the negotiation process is necessary. We have never rejected this, and we have held ongoing discussions with them," stated the Kremlin leader.

U.S. and Russia Negotiations

Recall that last week, a meeting took place in the capital of Saudi Arabia between delegations from Washington and Moscow, after which U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that he is "convinced of Russia's readiness to start a serious process to determine how to bring an end to the war" between Russia and Ukraine.

For more details on the negotiations between the U.S. and Russia, read in a separate article by RBK-Ukraine.

It should also be noted that Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky stated that Kyiv does not recognize the results of the negotiations in Riyadh, where the U.S. and Russia discussed Ukraine without Ukraine's participation.

Earlier, U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, stated that he does not see Europe at the negotiating table regarding Ukraine. This caused outrage and criticism among EU countries.

As reported by The Times, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron plan to present a unified message on Ukraine during a meeting with President Trump.

On February 24, The Times reported that Starmer and Macron want to dissuade Trump from separate negotiations with Putin.