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- The way out is to sit down: can Europe become a participant in the peace process in Ukraine
The way out is to sit down: can Europe become a participant in the peace process in Ukraine
Europe does not want Russia and the United States to negotiate on Ukraine without it, and is seeking a place at the negotiating table. At the same time, the actions of most countries, including Northern Europe, are mainly aimed at financing and continuing the conflict, the Russian Foreign Ministry told Izvestia. Earlier, Norway took the initiative in resolving the crisis. However, Oslo has not yet sent peace proposals to Moscow, the Russian Embassy in the kingdom told Izvestia. Experts believe that it will not be possible to completely do without the Europeans, but now their position rather slows down the process. While Brussels is seeking to participate in the negotiations, Russia and Ukraine, through the mediation of the United States, have agreed on a regime of silence in Alyoshki, Kherson region.
Europe's attempts to get involved in the Ukrainian settlement
As they prepare for a new possible round of trilateral negotiations on Ukraine, Western media are increasingly writing about the Europeans' fears of being sidelined in this process. At the same time, Russia allows dialogue not only with the United States, but also with European countries. The Kremlin emphasizes that it is not enough to negotiate only with Kiev to resolve the conflict, since Europe fully supports the Ukrainian side in its desire to continue fighting. Russian Presidential aide Yuri Ushakov admitted that the position of these states could play a key role in reaching agreements.
Norway has recently become a new participant in the Ukrainian settlement process. So, on October 20, consultations between representatives of Ukraine, the United States and European countries were held in Oslo for the first time. With these developments, the special representative of the President of the United States, Steve Witkoff, arrived in St. Petersburg for a meeting with Vladimir Putin, after which he returned to Norway for talks with Prime Minister Jonas Gare Stere. Meanwhile, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who maintains good relations with Vladimir Zelensky, Donald Trump and the Norwegian Prime Minister, is increasingly being called the main candidate for the role of Europe's representative in the dialogue with the Russian Federation. According to the British newspaper The Telegraph, European leaders are also considering Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen for this post.
Europe is heterogeneous, but the actions of most countries, including the Northern European ones, are mainly aimed at financing and prolonging the conflict. This was stated to Izvestia by the Ambassador-at-large of the Russian Foreign Ministry Rodion Miroshnik.
"If they formulated any statements or proposals, it looked more like an ultimatum and, in principle, was not considered as some kind of mechanism or as a desire to seek a peaceful settlement," he said.
Even the current Norwegian Foreign Minister, Espen Barth Eide, has previously admitted that the country cannot mediate in the Ukrainian crisis. As the Russian Embassy in Oslo told Izvestia, the involvement of engaged participants in the negotiations, who consistently pursue an anti-Russian course and unconditionally support Kiev, is unlikely to help achieve mutually acceptable agreements. The diplomats stressed that such steps cannot be considered as an impartial peacekeeping effort.
"The Norwegian side, which has been promoting the interests of Kiev exclusively throughout the conflict, has not received any proposals to resolve the Ukrainian crisis," the Russian diplomatic mission said.
Following the talks between Vladimir Putin and Steve Witkoff in St. Petersburg, Yuri Ushakov said that a new meeting in the Russian Federation-USA–Ukraine format could take place in Abu Dhabi in November. The main topic of these consultations should be building a security system for both sides after the conflict ends. Earlier, the Russian leader stated Moscow's readiness to resume this dialogue immediately after reaching a final peace agreement, stressing that the discussion on mutual guarantees must include a discussion of the future architecture of European security.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President's Special Envoy Steve Witkoff during a meeting at the Konstantinovsky Palace
According to Andrei Kortunov, an expert at the Valdai Club, Europe's current position is rather hindering the settlement: European countries are not making constructive proposals to the negotiation process, so neither Moscow nor Washington are yet considering the possibility of including them in the current format. However, it is impossible to create a new European security architecture without their participation. At a certain stage, their involvement will become not just desirable, but necessary, the expert noted. To do this, Europe will have to take a more flexible position.
Silence mode in Alyosha
While the parties are preparing for the November round of negotiations, Russia and Ukraine have already managed to agree on a local truce in the village of Alyoshki in the Kherson region. The silence regime in the Kherson direction will be introduced from 4 a.m. Moscow time on October 27, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Federation Valery Gerasimov announced. The purpose of the agreement is the delivery of humanitarian supplies. Ukraine also confirmed its readiness to observe the silence regime.
Russian Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov admitted that the ceasefire in Alyoshki could become a model for other sections of the line of contact.
— For humanitarian purposes, it can. Especially when it comes to the positive coordinating participation of the American negotiators, First Lady Melania Trump. We highly appreciate this, and it can become a precedent," he said.
The White House itself called the truce a local one. However, the Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmitry Lubinets clarified: the ceasefire regime will operate in the city itself and on all humanitarian routes. Technical mine clearance will be carried out for the safe passage of civilians. The whole operation will take place in several stages, each taking several days. People will choose for themselves where to go — to Russia or to Ukraine. Civilian officials from both countries will conduct house-to-house searches, and journalists from the United States will film the process.
Due to Ukraine's actions, a difficult humanitarian situation has developed in Alyoshki. The city has been living without electricity, water, food and medicine for about five months. Any humanitarian supplies and evacuation are disrupted by constant shelling. The Ukrainian side blocked the safe exit of people and did not allow the columns to pass. Residents have become hostages of the situation.
As a result of the Ukrainian Armed Forces attacks in Alyoshki, schools, kindergartens and a hospital were destroyed. Humanitarian vehicles and ambulances are being shelled, and drones are almost constantly in the air. Because of this, the delivery of food and medicine to residents is difficult.
According to Natalia Yeremina, a professor at St. Petersburg State University, such local truces are possible only with the participation of a third party capable of exerting pressure on Kiev. Three factors worked in Alyosha at once: external influence, communication disruptions in the Armed Forces of Ukraine due to SpaceX restrictions, and Russia's willingness to resolve humanitarian issues. The expert is convinced that only such a combination of conditions makes the agreements real.
Alyosha's case clearly confirms this scheme in practice. It demonstrates how the parties can quickly come to an agreement on limited and verifiable terms, when a time frame, a specific zone, and a mediator and observers are clearly defined. The global settlement does not yet have such working mechanics, Eremina believes. Large-scale guarantees are required for the big world.
While diplomats are looking for the contours of a future security architecture, Kiev is legally consolidating its readiness to continue hostilities. Martial law and mobilization in Ukraine are planned to be extended for another three months — until January 29, 2027. Zelensky has already submitted these bills to the parliament for consideration, although he publicly declares that he is ready to end the conflict. The parliament supported them on the same day.
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