Kushner outlines new Ukraine peace talks, cites ideas that could break deadlock

U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner outlined new ideas for Ukraine peace talks, aiming to break the current deadlock. Kushner emphasized the need for direct contacts between Moscow and European partners, as well as the development of a new agenda for upcoming meetings. He stressed that credible security guarantees for Ukraine and concrete postwar arrangements were crucial to reducing the risk of future conflicts.

NATO would remain an essential pillar of European security, bolstered by military cooperation, communication, conflict prevention, and mutual de-escalation measures. Washington sought to involve European partners directly in the discussions, with any final agreement requiring unanimous approval from all relevant parties. Despite maximalist stances and harsh rhetoric, both sides acknowledged the necessity of practical compromises during private negotiations.

The negotiations, however, remained extremely challenging, with the war's human cost being catastrophic. Two days of trilateral talks between Ukraine, the United States, and Russia concluded in Abu Dhabi on November 11, resulting in a significant prisoner exchange. Following the meetings, Ukrainian delegates held separate talks with European representatives in the United Arab Emirates.

On November 12, U.S. presidential special envoys Steve Witkoff and Kushner met with Russian President Vladimir Putin for roughly two hours at the Kremlin. Afterward, they proceeded to Dublin for discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was attending the European Political Community summit. The envoys subsequently announced preparations for another round of talks to end the war in Ukraine, while Kushner confirmed that European countries would participate. Zelenskyy affirmed the preparations for the "largest" prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia.