<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Russian President </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/vladimir-putin" rel="" target="_blank" title="Vladimir Putin"><span>Vladimir Putin</span></a><span> accused Kyiv's European allies of sabotaging US-led efforts to end the nearly four-year-old </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/russia-ukraine" rel="" target="_blank" title="war in Ukraine"><span>war in Ukraine</span></a><span>, shortly before he met with a delegation sent by US President </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/donald-trump" rel="" target="_blank" title="Donald Trump"><span>Donald Trump</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"They don't have a peace agenda, they're on the side of the war," Putin said of the Europeans prior to talks in the Kremlin with US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Putin's accusations appeared to be his latest attempt to sow dissension between Trump and European countries and set the stage for exempting Moscow from blame for any lack of progress.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/sabrina-carpenter-calls-white-house-use-of-her-song-evil-disgusting/6143d173-650a-4938-8546-09294abe967f" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Sabrina Carpenter slams 'evil', 'disgusting' White House move</span></strong></a><strong><span></span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He accused Europe of amending peace proposals with "demands that are absolutely unacceptable to Russia," thus "blocking the entire peace process" and blaming Moscow for it.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"That's their goal," Putin said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He reiterated his long-held position that Russia has no plans to attack Europe – a concern regularly voiced by some European countries.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/russia-ukraine-war-vladimir-putin-accused-europe-of-undermining-peace-process/04e50f1d-d849-4841-a4d3-c010362bc6a0" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/trump-tells-somali-immigrants-to-return-home/de6078d7-1eb8-4c34-98f8-82db32af382b" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Trump says he doesn't want Somalis in the US</span></strong></a><strong><span></span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"But if Europe suddenly wants to wage a war with us and starts it, we are ready right away. There can be no doubt about that," Putin said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Russia started the war in 2022 with its full-scale invasion of a sovereign European country, and European governments have since spent billions of dollars to support Ukraine financially and militarily, to wean themselves from energy dependence on Russia, and to strengthen their own militaries to deter Moscow from seizing more territory by force.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>They worry that if Russia gets what it wants in Ukraine, it will have free rein to threaten or disrupt other European countries, which already have faced incursions from Russian drones and fighter jets, and an alleged widespread Russian sabotage campaign.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/prada-group-says-it-has-purchased-fashion-rival-versace/37730fa6-b527-46f9-bec8-85a8334ae2e0" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Massive fashion shake-up as Prada buys Versace for $2.2 billion</span></strong></a><strong><span></span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Trump's peace plan relies on Europe to provide the bulk of the financing and security guarantees for a postwar Ukraine, even though no Europeans appear to have been consulted on the original plan. That's why European governments have pushed to ensure that peace efforts address their concerns, too.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Speaking with Putin via a translator before the talks, Witkoff said he and Kushner had taken "a beautiful walk" around Moscow and described it as a "magnificent city." After four hours, negotiations were still ongoing behind closed doors.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Coinciding with Witkoff's trip, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy went to Ireland, continuing his visits to European countries that have helped sustain his country's fight against Russia's invasion.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>High-stakes negotiations</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In what could be a high-stakes day of negotiations, Zelenskyy said he was expecting swift reports from the US envoys in Moscow on whether talks could move forward, after Trump's initial 28-point plan was whittled down to 20 items in Sunday's talks between US and Ukrainian officials in Florida.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"They want to report right after that meeting to us, specifically. The future and the next steps depend on these signals. Such steps will change throughout today, even hour by hour, I believe," Zelenskyy said at a news conference in Dublin with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"If the signals show fair play with our partners, we then might meet very soon, meet with the American delegation," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"There is a lot of dialogue, but we need results. Our people are dying every day. I am ready ... to meet with President Trump. It all depends on today's talks."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>Building on progress in Florida</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>After months of frustration in trying to stop the fighting, Trump deployed officials to get traction for his peace proposals. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin's talks with Witkoff and Kushner would take "as long as needed."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The talks have followed parallel lines so far, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio sitting down with Ukrainian officials.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Zelenskyy said he met Tuesday with the Ukrainian delegation that returned from the negotiations with US representatives in Florida. Rubio said those talks made progress, but added that "there's more work to be done."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Zelenskyy said the Florida talks took as their cue a document that both sides drafted at an earlier meeting in Geneva. The Ukrainian leader said that document was now "finalized," although he didn't explain what that meant.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Ukrainian diplomats are working to ensure that European partners are "substantially involved" in decision-making, Zelenskyy said on the Telegram messaging app, and warned about what he said were Russian disinformation campaigns aimed at steering the negotiations.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Ukrainian intelligence will provide partners with the information we have about Russia's true intentions and its attempts to use diplomatic efforts as cover to ease sanctions and block important collective European decisions," Zelenskyy said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>European leaders want a say</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Zelenskyy met with political leaders and lawmakers in Dublin on his first official visit. Ireland is officially neutral and isn't a member of NATO but has sent non-lethal military support to Ukraine. More than 100,000 Ukrainians have moved to Ireland since Russia launched its war on February 24, 2022.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Although this week's consultations could move the process forward, few details have become public. It remains unclear how envoys are going to bridge the gap between the two sides on such basic differences as who keeps what territory. European officials say the road to peace will be long.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>European leaders want to make their voices heard after being largely sidelined by Washington. They are also working on future security guarantees for Ukraine.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Zelenskyy was in Paris on Monday, and French President Emmanuel Macron said they spoke by phone with Witkoff. They also spoke to leaders of eight other European countries as well as top European Union officials and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Macron said the coming days will see "crucial discussions" between US officials and Western partners. Zelenskyy's Paris visit followed Sunday's meeting between Ukrainian and US officials, which Rubio described as productive.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Diplomats face a hard time trying to bridge Russian and Ukrainian differences and persuading them to strike compromises. The key obstacles – over whether Kyiv should cede land to Moscow and how to ensure Ukraine's future security – appear unresolved.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>Zelenskyy under pressure</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Zelenskyy is under severe pressure in one of the darkest periods of the war for his country. As well as managing diplomatic pressure, he must find money to keep Ukraine afloat, address a corruption scandal that has reached the top echelons of his government, and keep Russia at bay on the battlefield.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Kremlin late Monday claimed that Russian forces have captured the key city of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine. Zelenskyy, however, said in Paris that fighting was still ongoing in Pokrovsk on Monday.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Ukraine's general staff on Tuesday also denied Russia's claims to have captured Pokrovsk, saying it was a propaganda stunt. The Ukrainian army is readying additional logistic routes to deliver supplies to troops in the area, the Facebook post said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. 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