Moscow indicates it’s open to Kyiv joining EU, say US officials

Berlin: Russia has indicated it’s open to Ukraine joining the European Union as part of a potential peace deal to end the war, US officials said Monday. The US officials who briefed reporters after US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as well as British, French and German officials in Berlin over the last two days said that such an offer would be a major concession by Moscow. But Russia has previously said it does not object to Ukraine joining the EU.

The US officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that the US has also agreed to provide security guarantees reminiscent of Nato’s guarantee to Kyiv as part of the deal but that such an offer won’t be on the table “forever.” “The basis of that agreement is basically to have really, really strong guarantees — Article 5 like — also very, very strong deterrence” through weapons, a US official said on condition of anonymity.


US negotiators also told Ukraine that it must agree to withdraw forces from eastern Donetsk region, an official familiar with the matter said.

The latest round of talks between Zelensky and US envoys ended Monday as Kyiv faces Washington’s pressure to swiftly accept a US-brokered peace deal . Ukraine’s lead negotiator, Rustem Umerov, said that “real progress” had been achieved at the talks in Berlin with Witkoff and Kushner as well as European officials.

The US said in a social media post on Witkoff’s account after Sunday’s meeting that “a lot of progress was made.”

The Kremlin said Monday it expected to be updated on the Berlin talks by the US side. Asked whether the talks could be over by Christmas, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said trying to predict a potential time frame was a “thankless task.” “President Putin is open to peace. He is not open to any tricks aimed at stalling for time.”