US, Ukraine say Europe to join peace talks as Putin sticks to hardline stance

The envoys held over four hours of talks with Putin in the Kremlin before traveling to Dublin to debrief Zelensky. This comes as Putin maintains a firm stance, refusing to compromise on Russia's demands to resolve the conflict that has persisted for nearly five years.

Diplomatic efforts

The expanded peace talks represent a significant development in international efforts to end the war, with Europe now formally included in the negotiation process.