US Envoy Details Push for Direct European Russian Talks on Ukraine Peace

The United States is currently facilitating direct engagement between Russia and European nations as part of an ongoing effort to secure a peace agreement in Ukraine, according to Jared Kushner. The President’s special envoy and son-in-law made this announcement on Saturday, highlighting a shift in diplomatic strategy aimed at resolving the conflict that has lasted more than four and a half years.

This development follows a series of meetings held last week by Kushner and Steve Witkoff with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. These discussions took place after the first round of US-brokered talks between the two countries since February. While that earlier session resulted in plans for a new prisoner exchange and further negotiations, it did not yield a comprehensive peace deal.

In a social media post on Saturday, Kushner explained that the current focus is on preparing the agenda for the next round of trilateral talks. He noted that several new ideas emerged from recent discussions and are being explored. Some of these concepts may lead to immediate breakthroughs, while others could evolve into new proposals designed to bridge remaining gaps between the parties.

President Zelenskyy provided additional context in statements released on Saturday, noting that the US had raised the possibility of a new security framework for Europe. However, he expressed concern that Moscow might use these discussions to weaken and reshape the continent’s borders. Zelenskyy described this potential shift as dangerous and argued that it should not become the primary agenda of the negotiations.

The Ukrainian leader also revealed that the US had asked for the first time whether Ukraine would withdraw from parts of eastern Ukraine not controlled by Russia if Kyiv were admitted to NATO. Zelenskyy reiterated that Kyiv would not surrender its territory and stressed that any arrangement would not involve recognizing occupied territories as Russian. He further rejected the possibility of Ukraine committing to neutrality, stating that such a move would require changing the country’s constitution.

Zelenskyy believes Moscow is interested in reopening broader questions about European security rather than focusing exclusively on ending the war. He stated that Putin’s desire to change borders in Europe is a fact and is part of a concept to revise security guarantees. The President warned that these broader discussions could allow Putin to seek changes to NATO’s military presence, including the potential withdrawal of American troops from the Baltic countries.

Ukraine is currently discussing a comprehensive security package with its partners. This potential package could include specific guarantees from NATO and the European Union, a strong Ukrainian military, financial support for a specified period, and a recovery plan. Zelenskyy said that if the American side confirms these terms along with other NATO partners, he will ask Ukrainian society whether they accept the proposal.

Kushner emphasized that a lasting peace requires security guarantees for Kyiv and detailed postwar arrangements to reduce the risk of future conflict. He stated that NATO will remain a critical pillar of European security, enhanced by stronger mechanisms for military cooperation and de-escalation. He added that any final agreement must be agreed to by the relevant parties, and that President Trump will only support arrangements that strengthen security for both Ukraine and Europe.

Zelenskyy outlined a preferred sequence for the peace process: a ceasefire, an end to the war, and then security guarantees for Ukraine. He asserted that there can be no security guarantees for Europe without Ukraine and that any changes to security arrangements must be decided by European NATO members only after the war ends.

President Trump is scheduled to meet with Putin next week as part of a summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Officials indicated that the two leaders are not expected to discuss Russia’s war in Ukraine during this meeting.