US now focused on 'facilitating direct engagement' between Russia, Europe, Kushner says after Ukraine peace talks

U.S. envoy Jared Kushner stated on November 14 that the United States is now concentrating on facilitating direct engagement between Russia and its European allies, and on preparing the agenda for upcoming Ukraine peace talks. Kushner spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin separately following a two-day U.S.-mediated conference in Abu Dhabi involving Ukrainian and Russian delegations. The talks concluded without a resolution regarding a broader ceasefire or peace accord.

Kushner informed X, a social media platform, that the U.S. now aims to facilitate direct contact between Moscow and European partners, and to prepare the agenda for the subsequent round of trilateral discussions. He emphasized that NATO would continue to serve as a critical pillar of European security and provide credible security assurances to Ukraine.

Kushner added that the discussions yielded several novel ideas which are currently under examination. Some of these ideas could potentially lead to breakthroughs, while others may evolve into fresh proposals to bridge remaining disparities.

On November 13, Zelensky informed journalists about a new American proposal being deliberated upon, which would entail Ukraine gaining NATO membership in exchange for withdrawing from the territories it still controls. The Americans proposed the following scenario: if Ukraine were to join NATO, would it then relinquish control over the Donbas region?

This was the first time this notion had been raised. Eastern Ukraine's Donbas region encompasses Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, which were initially partially annexed by Russia in 2014, and have since remained under Russian control without complete conquest.