European Commission: Premature to speak of EU's possible role in Russia-U.S.-Ukraine trilateral talks

BRUSSELS. Aug 7 (Interfax) - It would be premature to speculate on the European Union's possible involvement in a hypothetical meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin, U.S. President Donald Trump, and Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, European Commission Deputy Chief Spokesperson Arianna Podesta said.

"What concerns these possible trilateral peace talks, I understand that the timing, the format, the logistics are still to be seen so it's too much premature to say what exactly is going to happen," Podesta said at a press briefing in Brussels on Thursday, when asked what role the EU could play in possible top-level talks on settling the Ukraine conflict.

"The format is still being agreed," she said, adding that no final decisions had been made yet.

Podesta confirmed that, unlike a number of European leaders, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was not informed by the United States of outcomes of Putin's working meeting with U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff on Wednesday. However, von der Leyen was briefed on the matter by several European leaders, she said, without disclosing their names.

Brussels remains permanently in touch at all levels with Ukraine and other European countries as concerns a Ukraine settlemlent, she said.