Russia wants only Ukraine and the United States at the peace negotiation table. Europe later.

The next round of negotiations regarding the Ukraine conflict is set to occur in a trilateral format involving Russia, Ukraine, and the United States. Kremlin advisor Yuri Ushakov indicated that initial discussions would not include European states. He suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin would answer a call from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky if he reached out. However, Ukrainian officials are wary that such a call could give Russia an excuse to withdraw from meaningful negotiations. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reiterated that Zelensky should come to Moscow for talks, dismissing the idea of a phone call as a substitute for a face-to-face meeting. Ukraine continues to resist Russian territorial demands amid ongoing military conflict.