The key facts

  • Matthew Whitaker: the priority is a lasting peace; Europe is already involved in consultations and support for Ukraine
  • Petr Pavel considered Europe's participation in the talks mandatory
  • Dmitry Peskov: Europe's position on defeating Russia makes negotiations with it impossible

Statement by the US Ambassador to NATO

Europe's formal presence at the negotiating table on Ukraine is not as important as the actual end of the conflict between Moscow and Kyiv. This was stated at the Berlin Security Conference by the US Ambassador to NATO, Matthew Whitaker, as reported by Ukrinform citing his remarks (Gazeta.Ru).

Priority: a lasting peace

According to Whitaker, the priority is establishing a lasting peace. He recalled that Europe is already taking part in 'the relevant consultations and support for Ukraine.' At the same time, the ambassador allowed that Europe's weighty voice could prove decisive: 'If Europe's voice at the negotiating table becomes what tips the scales, then they should be there'.

Diverging assessments of Europe's role

Whitaker's position differs from the assessments of other participants in the discussion. Czech President Petr Pavel previously stated that peace talks on Ukraine without Europe are 'unthinkable'. He clarified that he meant Europe specifically, not the European Union, since the issue concerns the security of all countries of the continent, including states that are not part of the political union.

Moscow's position

Press secretary of the Russian president Dmitry Peskov, for his part, noted that Europe's position, which calls for defeating Russia, makes negotiations with it impossible. Thus, three assessments have clashed in the public arena: the American ambassador allows for talks without Europe's formal participation, the Czech president considers such participation mandatory, and the Kremlin links the impossibility of dialogue to the very position of the European countries.