Russia open to Ukraine joining European Union

US say Moscow signalled flexibility; Kyiv resists territorial concessions

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RUSSIA has indicated it's open to Ukraine joining the European Union as part of a potential peace deal to end the war, US officials said on Monday.

The US officials who briefed reporters after US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as well as British, French and German officials in Berlin over the last two days said that such an offer would be a major concession by Moscow. But Russia has previously said it does not object to Ukraine joining the EU.

The US officials, who were not authorised to comment publicly by the White House and spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that the US has also agreed to provide unspecified security guarantees to Kyiv as part of the deal but that such an offer won't be on the table "forever."