Russia does not want war with Europe, but if Europe wants war with Russia, we are ready for it, Russian President Vladimir Putin said before talks with US special envoy Steve Witkoff and US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner about the possibilities of ending the war in Ukraine.

"We are not planning a war with Europe, but if Europe wants one and starts one, we are ready," Russian President Vladimir Putin said after an investment forum in Moscow, the French news agency AFP and the British BBC reported. When asked about Europe's involvement in peace talks on Ukraine, he replied that it had withdrawn from the possibility of resolving the conflict without the United States.

At the same time, he accused Europe of not having a"peace agenda" and instead preferring to hinder US peace efforts. He also stressed that the aim of European demands in the context of changes to the US peace plan is merely to"block the entire peace process" and that these demands are unacceptable to Russia.

Zelensky: There are no easy solutions in the search for peace

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Ireland today and said before the start of US-Russian talks that he sees an opportunity to end the war, but there are no easy solutions in finding peace. According to him, key issues must be resolved; territory, Russian frozen assets and security guarantees for Ukraine, foreign news agencies report."We must end the war in such a way that Russia does not return in a year with a third invasion in ten years," the Ukrainian president emphasized.

Regarding the talks in Moscow, where US special envoy Steve Witkoff and the US president's son-in-law Jared Kushner will discuss with Putin options for ending the war and the US peace plan, Zelensky reiterated:"I will respond based on the results. We will meet, but we need to have something concrete, not just words."

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Zelensky, who did not rule out the possibility that a breakthrough in Moscow would not occur, called for a solution to end the war and not just a pause in hostilities."Our common task is to end the war, not just achieve a pause in hostilities. A dignified peace is needed. For this to really happen, everyone must be on the side of peace," he said.

Witkoff and Kushner are expected to meet with Zelensky in a European country on Wednesday after their meeting in Moscow."The Ukrainian side (...) does not rule it out and is ready to meet with them," an unnamed Kiev official said, according to the French news agency AFP. He added that the talks could take place in Brussels, but"there is no clear agreement yet" on such a meeting.

Rutte believes in the success of US efforts for peace in Ukraine

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte is confident that Washington's efforts to end the war in Ukraine could eventually bring peace."We all strive for the war against Ukraine to end with a just and lasting peace. We welcome the continued efforts of the United States to make this a reality. I am confident that these persistent efforts will eventually restore peace in Europe," Rutte said.

According to the NATO leader, Kiev has already shown that it is ready to participate in the peace efforts of US President Donald Trump, and today"we will see whether the Russians are also ready to get involved".

Rutte reiterated today that the door for Ukraine to join NATO remains open, but there is currently no consensus on this."The practical situation is that Ukraine needs the consent of all allies to join NATO," said the Secretary General. At the same time, he stressed that Russia continues its aggression in Ukraine and that Kiev is still dependent on the help of allies, reports the German news agency dpa.

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Warned about brutal Russian attacks

Rutte added that he expects new contributions from allies in the coming days under NATO's PURL initiative, through which European allies and Canada finance the supply of US weapons and ammunition. He also warned that efforts for peace should not ignore Russia's increasingly brutal attacks."Russia is systematically attacking civilian infrastructure and depriving Ukrainians of heat and light at the beginning of winter," he added. He also stressed that Russia is not alone in the war, as China continues to provide decisive support, and Iran and North Korea are also helping.

Rutte made today's statements at a press conference ahead of Wednesday's meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels, where they are expected to focus on continued support for Ukraine and ongoing efforts to strengthen the alliance's defense capabilities.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will not be among the participants, and his absence means that NATO foreign ministers will meet without a US secretary of state for the first time since 1999, the US newspaper Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. Rutte said that he and Rubio are in close contact and that his absence does not have a deeper meaning. Rubio will be represented by his deputy Christopher Landau.