Rutte says Russia’s willingness to negotiate remains uncertain

Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte said it remained to be seen whether Russia was genuinely willing to negotiate, as US envoys prepared to meet President Vladimir Putin.

Arriving in Dublin for a European Political Community meeting on Thursday, Rutte said peace talks in Abu Dhabi had been successful because Europe, the United States and Ukraine were aligned, the Dutch news agency ANP reported. He said Russia’s willingness to negotiate should become clearer that day.

US negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff were due to meet Putin on Thursday before travelling to Ireland to brief Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Rutte said he expected the Americans to defend European interests because they were shared, adding that Europe needed the US to bring Russia to the negotiating table. He left it to the EU to decide whom Europe should send to the talks.