Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that European countries have long maintained contact with Russia at the level of intelligence services and diplomatic bodies, and that, in his words, this makes Europe's participation a mandatory condition for any negotiations on ending the war. The head of state said this in a comment to journalists, as reported by RBC-Ukraine. According to him, European partners independently maintain a line of communication with their Russian counterparts in parallel with the contacts coordinated by the American side.

"Europe is not just a wallet, but security"

Commenting on the role of European countries, Zelensky emphasized that it is not limited to financial or military aid. "Europeans have contacts with the Russians at the level of intelligence services and diplomats, not just the Americans. Europe is very important at the negotiating table," the president stated. He added: "We understand that Europe is not just aid for us, not just a wallet, not just weapons. This is real security. It is important for Europe to be part of the negotiation process, because they are thinking about security." Thus, Kyiv is trying to secure for the EU the status of not merely a donor, but a full-fledged subject of the negotiation track, whose national interests are directly affected by the outcome of the conflict.

Context: daytime strike on Kyiv and preparation for three formats

The statement came against the backdrop of a tense day: on the morning of September 8, Russia carried out a daytime strike on Kyiv, as a result of which an office building caught fire in the Solomianskyi district. According to Mayor Vitali Klitschko, there are casualties, and rescuers evacuated people from the upper floors. Earlier the same day, Zelensky had announced a meeting with Donald Trump in the last days of September and reported that the parties were preparing for a trilateral format of negotiations. Later, the president also allowed for the possibility of a compromise with Russia on issues of energy and grain supplies, emphasizing that these topics are important not only for Kyiv and Moscow, but also for other countries of the world.

Moscow's position: "readiness for peace" and a bet on a trilateral format

Meanwhile, the Kremlin declared Russia's alleged readiness for peace, placing responsibility for the further course of events on Kyiv. Russian President's Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov added that Moscow expects the resumption of trilateral negotiations. Thus, both sides publicly declare their readiness for dialogue, but they differ in their assessment of the conditions and in who bears responsibility for the breakdown or launch of the negotiation process.

Contradictory data

Discrepancies in the presentation of the negotiation track are recorded in open sources. On the one hand, Zelensky in his September 8 comment speaks of an upcoming meeting with Trump in the last days of September and of the preparation of a trilateral format. On the other hand, a number of publications (including RFI materials) mention an already-held meeting between Zelensky and Trump in the Vatican, with references to the corresponding materials dated 2025, which does not allow them to be unambiguously correlated with the current events of 2026. Moreover, the positions of the parties are essentially contradictory: Moscow declares its "readiness for peace" and shifts responsibility to Kyiv, while Ukraine insists on Europe's mandatory participation precisely in the expectation of security guarantees, rather than unilateral concessions. These inconsistencies in dates, venues, and interpretations require additional verification before the final fixation of the chronology of negotiations.