Trump administration envoy Steve Witkoff says Vladimir Putin is not planning to invade “all of Europe”, as US officials meet Ukrainian counterparts for negotiations.

It comes despite European nations rushing in recent weeks to boost defence spending amid fears the United States was no longer committed to ensuring European security.

Mr Witkoff, speaking on morning television in the United States on Sunday, said he does not see the Russian president wanting to invade beyond Ukraine.

He described fears of broader Russian aggression as “academic.”

“I just don’t see that he wants to take all of Europe,” Mr Witkoff told Fox News. 

“I take him at his word in this sense, so, and I think the Europeans are beginning to come to that belief, too. 

“But it sort of doesn’t matter. That’s an academic issue … The agenda is, stop the killing, stop the carnage. Let’s end this thing.”

US and Ukrainian officials were due to meet in Saudi Arabia on Sunday for talks on how to halt the Russian invasion, a member of the Ukrainian delegation told news agency AFP, while the Kremlin warned of “difficult negotiations” and a long journey to peace.

Russia’s negotiators said previously they would hold talks with the US side on Monday.

Mr Witkoff said the US still had optimism a “full-on” ceasefire could be reached through negotiations between the two sides.

“I think you’re going to see in Saudi Arabia on Monday some real progress, particularly as it affects a Black Sea ceasefire on ships between both countries. And from that you’ll naturally gravitate to a full-on shooting ceasefire,” he told Fox News.

But the Kremlin on Sunday downplayed expectations of a rapid resolution, saying talks were just beginning.

“We are only at the beginning of this path,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Russian state TV.

He said there were many outstanding “questions” and “nuances” over how a potential ceasefire might be implemented.

Trump and Putin may have spoken more than twice, Kremlin says

As the US seeks to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, the Kremlin has indicated Mr Trump and Mr Putin may have had more contact than previously disclosed.

There have so far been two announced phone calls between Putin and Trump this year — on February 12 and on March 18.

There has been speculation about much more frequent contact, and also reports that they spoke before Trump was elected last year.

When asked by the most prominent Kremlin correspondent for state television about remarks by Trump that indicated there may have been more than two calls, Mr Peskov said information had been released about those calls he knew of.

“Listen, we inform you about the conversations that we are aware of. But we can’t rule out everything else,” Mr Peskov said.

The contacts between Mr Trump and Mr Putin have spooked European leaders who fear the United States could be turning its back on Europe in the hope of striking a peace deal with Russia as part of some broader grand bargain encompassing oil prices, the Middle East and competition with China.

AFP/Reuters