Leaders from Europe and Canada held discussions Tuesday on U.S.-backed efforts to bring an end to the nearly four-year war between Russia and Ukraine, as tensions escalated following disputed Russian claims of a large-scale Ukrainian drone attack near a residence used by President Vladimir Putin.
The virtual talks brought together European leaders, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, senior officials from European institutions, and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said. While expressing cautious optimism, Tusk warned that peace is not yet guaranteed.
“Peace is on the horizon,” Tusk told a meeting of Poland’s Cabinet. “But it is still far from a 100 per cent certainty.”
The meeting marked the first gathering of European leaders since U.S. President Donald Trump hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at his Florida resort on Sunday. Trump said Ukraine and Russia are closer than ever to reaching a settlement, though he acknowledged that significant obstacles remain.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the talks were aimed at advancing the peace process, stressing that transparency and honesty are now essential — “including from Russia.”
His remarks followed sharp exchanges between Moscow and Kyiv over Russia’s claim that Ukraine launched 91 long-range drones at a lakeside residence associated with Putin in northwestern Russia shortly after Trump’s meeting with Zelenskyy. Ukraine has firmly denied the allegation.
Trump said Monday that he was unhappy about the claim after Putin raised it during a phone call, describing the situation as “not good.” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Russia has provided no credible evidence to support the allegation, insisting that no such attack took place.
“Russia has a long history of false claims,” Sybiha wrote on X, pointing to the Kremlin’s denials ahead of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Zelenskyy also dismissed the allegation as “another lie,” accusing Moscow of attempting to undermine peace efforts. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov countered that the alleged drone attack was intended to sabotage Trump’s push for a negotiated settlement.
Throughout the war, both sides have accused each other of attacks that are difficult to independently verify amid ongoing fighting. Peskov declined to say whether Russia would present physical evidence of the alleged drone strike, such as debris, calling it a matter for the military and adding that proof was unnecessary.
The Novgorod region, where the alleged attack occurred, is home to Dolgie Borody — one of the Russian presidency’s official residences near the town of Valdai, about 400 kilometres northwest of Moscow. The area has long served as a retreat for senior officials.
The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, said Russia has sought to stall peace talks since Trump renewed diplomatic efforts earlier this year, aiming to prolong the conflict, avoid pressure from the United States, and extract concessions related to broader U.S.-Russia relations.
