US to seek Putin’s ‘blessing’ for Europe to join Ukraine talks
After two days of talks in Abu Dhabi, Russia and Ukraine have agreed a major prisoner swap, with final numbers to be confirmed, U.S. officials say.
Abu Dhabi — U.S. officials, led by Jared Kushner, are set to journey to Moscow on Thursday to request permission from Russian President Vladimir Putin for European representatives to participate in forthcoming peace talks regarding Ukraine. The negotiations, currently overseen by Kushner, are aimed at scheduling the next round of discussions and attaining Putin's endorsement for European representation at the table.
Kushner emphasized the necessity of involving Europe in these talks, stating, "We need to have the Europeans at the table." He had previously communicated this need to Putin and his team. Kushner expressed confidence in their ability to secure Putin's approval, stating, "I believe that hopefully tomorrow in Moscow, Steve and I will be successful and President Putin will give the blessing for that to occur."
The recent talks in Abu Dhabi have reportedly yielded significant progress, including an agreement to exchange a potentially "the biggest" number of prisoners since the start of the conflict. The exact figures are expected to be confirmed on Thursday. Kushner described the two days of talks as "substantive" yet "tough."
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