Russia and Ukraine have agreed to include European representatives in the next round of US-mediated peace negotiations, American special envoy Jared Kushner announced Thursday, describing the development as a significant step towards finding a diplomatic settlement to the ongoing war.
In a statement posted on social media platform X late Thursday, Kushner outlined progress made during negotiations conducted alongside fellow US special envoy Steve Witkoff since Tuesday.
“We have made meaningful progress in understanding both sides’ concerns, identifying possible solutions, and establishing a path forward. Both sides have now agreed to expand the next round of negotiations to include our European partners,” Kushner said.
He explained that European participation would allow negotiators to address broader questions concerning the continent’s post-war security arrangements alongside territorial disputes between Moscow and Kyiv.
According to Kushner, achieving a lasting settlement would require more than resolving territorial disagreements, with security guarantees and mechanisms to prevent renewed hostilities forming essential components of any agreement.
An end to the war requires “credible security guarantees, deconfliction mechanisms, and reciprocal de-escalation commitments that reduce the risk of future conflict,” he said.
Kushner also confirmed that he had agreed with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to maintain regular communication, including continued engagement with Ukraine’s negotiating team.
He emphasised that broader European security arrangements would not be finalised without addressing Ukraine’s security concerns.
“We will begin discussing these interconnected issues in parallel, with the understanding that, apart from humanitarian measures, nothing will be finalized until a comprehensive agreement is reached,” he stated.
The US envoy further revealed that negotiators were working towards what he described as the largest prisoner exchange since the beginning of the war.
The proposed exchange emerged as a major outcome of the latest US-mediated talks between Russia and Ukraine, held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Kushner expressed hope that both sides would demonstrate the political will and commitment necessary to implement the exchange.
He said further details, including the structure of the negotiations, the timetable and additional arrangements, were expected to be announced shortly.
“President Trump is determined to end this horrible war. Significant differences remain, but we are encouraged by the progress made,” Kushner said.
“We will undertake whatever hard diplomatic work is necessary to find a breakthrough that ends the fighting,” he added.
The announcement followed a series of diplomatic meetings involving senior American, Russian and Ukrainian officials.
Kushner and Witkoff met Zelenskyy in Dublin, Ireland, where the Ukrainian president had arrived on Wednesday.
The American envoys travelled to Dublin following talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Thursday afternoon.
They had arrived in the Russian capital earlier that day after participating in the trilateral negotiations in Abu Dhabi.
Russian authorities had not immediately commented on Kushner’s announcement regarding European participation in the next round of peace talks.
However, following Thursday’s Kremlin discussions, Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov said Moscow hoped European countries would support efforts to establish the parameters of a new European security architecture.
Ushakov said Russia was prepared to begin discussions on such arrangements immediately in cooperation with the United States.
He also criticised Europe’s approach to the conflict, arguing that European governments needed to decide whether they genuinely sought a peaceful settlement or intended to continue supporting the war.
“So far, all their practical actions point to the latter,” Ushakov told reporters.
The latest diplomatic developments suggest that negotiations may broaden beyond direct Russian-Ukrainian disputes to encompass wider European security concerns.
However, Kushner acknowledged that significant differences remain between the parties, with the prospects for a comprehensive settlement dependent on further negotiations and agreement over security guarantees, territorial questions and measures to prevent renewed conflict.