Russia and Ukraine have agreed to bring European partners into their next round of peace talks, U.S. envoy Jared Kushner said after three days of negotiations and meetings in Abu Dhabi, Moscow and Dublin.
The expanded talks would cover Europe’s security after the war as well as disputed Ukrainian territory, according to Kushner’s statement on X. He cautioned that major differences remain.
Washington is also trying to complete a prisoner exchange that Kushner said could be the largest of the war, bringing thousands of people home. His statement gave no final number or date for the releases.
European Role in the Next Round
Kushner said the diplomatic effort began with three-way negotiations involving U.S., Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Abu Dhabi. The U.S. team then met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Dublin.
The day ended with consultations involving national security advisers from Ukraine, Germany, Italy, France, Ireland and Poland, along with the European Union, he wrote.
European participation had been a point of contention. Virginia Times reported Nov. 11 that European governments, the EU and NATO had representatives in Abu Dhabi, but they consulted with Ukraine’s delegation outside the direct negotiations. Moscow had resisted including them.
Kushner’s latest statement says both sides have now accepted a broader format. It does not spell out which European representatives will attend or where the next round will take place.
Security Guarantees and Territory
Kushner set out several requirements for an end to the fighting: credible security guarantees, ways to avoid clashes and steps by both sides to reduce tensions.
He gave Zelenskyy an assurance that any wider European security deal would have to address Ukraine’s concerns. The two also agreed to keep in close touch.
Talks on territory will run alongside the security discussions, according to the post. Kushner drew a distinction between humanitarian steps and the rest of the negotiations: only the humanitarian measures could be finalized before an overall deal.
Prisoner Exchange Still Pending
At Abu Dhabi, the two delegations agreed to a large prisoner exchange but left the size and release date unannounced, Virginia Times reported Nov. 11. Vladimir Medinsky, who headed Russia’s team, and Rustem Umerov, who led Ukraine’s, both confirmed the plan.
There was no breakthrough on ending the war at those talks. The earlier report identified territory in eastern Ukraine, above all Donetsk, as one of the toughest questions still facing the negotiators.
Kushner’s post described a better understanding of what each side wanted after three days of diplomacy. Possible solutions had emerged, he wrote, following the effort to restart direct negotiations after months without them.
But there was no announcement of a peace agreement. Kushner acknowledged substantial differences and said the negotiating tracks, timetable and further details would follow soon.