German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has stated that Europe could be represented in negotiations on Ukraine through a five-country format. According to him, a proven E3 format already exists, and alongside it, a group of five — Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and Poland — is partly working as well. "I see no problem in continuing this way," Merz noted.
At the same time, he insists that Russia is ready for negotiations with Europe, despite the diplomatic deadlock.
US presidential special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Moscow on Thursday morning after participating in trilateral negotiations between Russia, the US, and Ukraine in Abu Dhabi. They met with President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin, then traveled to Dublin for a meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Following the meeting in Moscow, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov stated that European countries are trying to join the negotiation process on Ukraine, but they must decide whether they want war or peace. He added that so far all their actions indicate a desire to continue the conflict.
For Europe, the question here is not the number of countries in the format, but how much that format will be heard at the negotiating table itself. Merz's proposal for a group of five sounds like an attempt to ensure that, in addition to Brussels, individual capitals also have a voice — something that has rarely been achieved in recent months.
Ushakov's phrasing — war or peace — sounds sharper than usual in diplomatic language. It is more a message to the West than a real question, and it is unlikely to be perceived in Berlin or Paris as a serious proposal for negotiations.
Notably, the Dublin visit with Zelenskyy takes place immediately after Moscow. This means the American side is trying to keep two channels going simultaneously, without waiting for them to converge. Whether the European five will become a participant in one of those channels remains unclear.
