Ukraine to decide who represents Europe in Russia talks, Zelenskiy says

Ukraine will decide who represents Europe in any future negotiations with Russia, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in an interview with Ukrainian media published late Sunday.

Ukraine has been working to revive diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the more than four-year war with Russia by seeking greater European involvement, as U.S.-backed negotiations have stalled amid wider geopolitical tensions, including the conflict involving Iran. Kyiv has rejected Russian demands to cede territory as part of any potential settlement.

Zelenskiy said Ukraine was discussed “at greater length than ever before” during a recent European Council meeting. He added that discussions focused on Europe’s role in talks with Moscow and what form that involvement should take.

“We discussed Europe’s role in the dialogue with the Russians and what that role should be,” he said, adding that Europe is expected to consider different formats for engagement. “Europe will consider the format and propose several options, but Ukraine will decide who represents Europe in the negotiations. That is fair.”

European leaders have recently begun debating the possibility of direct talks with Moscow, though divisions remain over how to approach future relations with Russia.

Missile Defense Production and U.S. Cooperation

At the Group of Seven summit in Évian-les-Bains, France, Zelenskiy urged allies to increase pressure on Russia to end the war and met with U.S. President Donald Trump.

Zelenskiy also renewed his call for Washington to approve licenses allowing Ukraine to produce U.S.-designed Patriot interceptor missile systems domestically. He said the recent escalation of global conflicts has exposed shortages in missile defense supplies, even as Russia expands its ballistic missile production.

“This time, it became quite public that the U.S. team had responded positively to the issue of licenses for the first time,” Zelenskiy said.

U.S.-made interceptors remain a critical component of Ukraine’s air defense system against Russian missile strikes. Zelenskiy also said Trump plans to encourage U.S. defense contractors to establish licensed production of air defense missiles in Europe and Ukraine.

The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment, while defense manufacturers Raytheon Technologies, Lockheed Martin, and Boeing also did not immediately comment.

Fabian Hoffmann, a senior researcher at the Norwegian Defence University College, said any approval would mark a notable policy shift, as the United States has so far not allowed licensed production of the latest PAC-3 interceptor systems in Germany under firms such as Rheinmetall.

However, he noted that the main constraint in scaling production is not final assembly, but the manufacturing of key components, including radar homing systems onboard the missiles, which are produced by Boeing.

The discussions come as Ukraine continues to push for stronger long-term security guarantees and expanded air defense capabilities amid ongoing Russian missile and drone attacks. -Reporting by Anna Pruchnicka; Additional reporting by Daniel Flynn; Editing by Sharon Singleton/Reuters