Vladimir Putin warned US negotiators that Russia would target any foreign troops deployed to Ukraine, marking a hardening of Moscow’s stance during talks in the Kremlin on Thursday. The Russian president also refused to soften his territorial demands, insisting on full control over four Ukrainian regions that Moscow claims to have annexed.
The remarks came as the Ukrainian military faced renewed disruptions to Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite service. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused the service of damaging Ukraine’s ability to defend itself against Russian drone attacks after military officials reported new restrictions on the system.
Putin warns US on foreign intervention
During the meeting with US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, Putin ruled out accepting the deployment of foreign peacekeeping troops in Ukraine. He described such a move as a “continuation of war” rather than a path to peace. His comments appeared to severely dampen hopes that a peace deal could be within reach, following earlier statements from Zelenskyy suggesting there was a “window of opportunity” to reach an agreement before the end of 2026.
The latest trip to Moscow by Witkoff and Kushner, who have made numerous visits to Russia, was partly aimed at securing European participation in future negotiations. Speaking after the meeting, Witkoff confirmed that European representatives would join the next round of talks. “They’re our partners, and it’s important for them to be involved,” he told reporters as he boarded a plane leaving Moscow.
The US envoys will now travel to Dublin, Ireland, where they will meet Zelenskyy and debrief him on the Moscow meeting. The diplomatic activity follows recent talks in Abu Dhabi and appears to have succeeded in reframing negotiations over the war in Ukraine as part of a broader discussion about European security.
Starlink disruptions affect defense
Amid the diplomatic maneuvering, Zelenskyy reported that Starshield, a military version of Starlink funded by the Pentagon, has been subject to speed limits of 100mph (161km/h) along the frontline and in Russian-occupied territory for several days. Similar restrictions last month prompted confusion over who had ordered them, with Musk and the Trump administration pointing fingers at each other before the service was partly restored.
The latest restrictions have made it harder for Ukrainian forces to intercept Russia’s increasingly sophisticated jet-powered drones. Zelenskyy accused the service of “helping the Russians kill more Ukrainians and carry out more accurate strikes against Ukraine.” Kyiv has contacted Washington to seek an explanation for the disruption, which Zelenskyy said appeared to be deliberate rather than a technical fault.
European security architecture debate
Europe remains wary of Russian attempts to focus discussions on a European security architecture while Moscow continues to pound Ukraine with bombs and missiles. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told reporters that Europe already has a security architecture in place, pointing to the cold war-era Helsinki accords and the Budapest memorandum. She argued that the focus should be on Russia keeping to its obligations and not attacking another country again.
Both Washington and Moscow have been urging European leaders to appoint a single representative to lead negotiations on their behalf. Putin stated that once a chief negotiator authorized to speak for Europe is appointed, there will be a four-way dialogue. EU leaders are due to discuss the issue of who speaks for Europe on Friday, but so far have declined to nominate one person to speak for the bloc.
More than 45 European leaders are meeting in Dublin for the European Political Community summit. French President Emmanuel Macron played down the importance of having a single European negotiator, saying “the content determines the format.” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz added that it was first necessary to get Putin to the negotiating table before deciding on a European envoy.
Source: The Guardian
