European Countries Developing Separate Format for Ukraine Negotiations

France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, concerned about being sidelined in the negotiations to resolve the Ukrainian conflict, are working on creating their own format for talks. This was reported by The New York Times, citing five European officials.

According to the newspaper's sources, European countries consider the resolution of the Ukrainian conflict and future relations with Russia as critical issues and do not want to be excluded from the process. “European diplomats are developing a framework for future negotiations to protect European interests,” the NYT states.

Sources indicate that France and Germany play a leading role in the formulation of a unified European position. The United Kingdom also has an important role in the initiative but has adopted a more cautious stance. Following the rise to power of new Prime Minister Andy Burnham, London does not wish to jeopardize its relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump.

Earlier, Russia announced that it does not find the participation of European countries in the negotiation process regarding Ukraine to be expedient. The press secretary of the Russian President, Dmitry Peskov, stated that many positions voiced from European capitals, in Moscow's assessment, contribute more to the continuation of the war than to attempts at a peaceful resolution.