- Jared Kushner announced Thursday that Russia has agreed to European participation in direct negotiations to end the Russia-Ukraine war, after talks with delegations from both sides.
- Both sides have agreed to expand the next round of negotiations to include European partners, allowing for broader postwar European security arrangements alongside territorial issues.
- Dmitry Peskov offered a less certain commitment, saying Europe must display its commitment to peace before Russia will let them join direct negotiations.
- European diplomats were present during the three days of trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi this week, but remained on the sidelines.
- The U.S. and Ukraine have pushed for European countries to appoint an individual representative to engage in direct negotiations.
- Kaja Kallas cast doubt on Russia's ability to follow through on its promises and stressed the importance of Europe being involved in peace negotiations, hoping Europeans influence the outcome.
- Peskov indicated the Kremlin’s openness to contact with a European leader, but declined to comment on specific candidates, including French President Emmanuel Macron and EU policy chief Kaja Kallas.
U.S. envoy Jared Kushner announced that Russia has agreed to include European nations in peace negotiations aimed at resolving the ongoing Ukraine conflict. This development follows trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi involving the U.S., Russia, and Ukraine, where European diplomats were present but did not participate directly.167
Kushner stated, “Both sides have now agreed to expand the next round of negotiations to include our European partners,” emphasizing the need to address broader postwar security arrangements alongside territorial issues. He added, “A lasting end to the fighting requires credible security guarantees, deconfliction mechanisms, and reciprocal de-escalation commitments that reduce the risk of future conflict.”23
However, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov expressed caution, stating that Europe must first demonstrate its commitment to peace before being allowed to join the negotiations. He remarked, “Once we understand their genuine intention and readiness to contribute to the peace process, then it will be possible to make a decision on holding dialogue on a Ukrainian settlement in an expanded format.”45111213
European diplomats have been advocating for a representative to engage directly in the negotiations. Kaja Kallas, the European Union policy chief, stressed the necessity of European involvement, stating, “For any deal between Russia and Ukraine, for this implementation, we also need the Europeans.” She added, “That is why the Europeans have to be at the table.”8910
“Kushner, President Trump's son-in-law, said both sides agreed to expand talks to address postwar European security alongside territorial issues. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov added that Europe must display genuine readiness to contribute, while EU policy chief Kaja Kallas stressed Europeans must be at the table to influence the outcome.”
