Kushner: Russia has agreed to include Europe in Ukraine war talks

This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. End of dialog window. U. S. envoy Jared Kushner announced Thursday that Russia has agreed to European participation in direct negotiations to end the Russia-Ukraine war, after three days of talks with delegations from both sides of the conflict. In the past, Russian leadership has opposed European diplomatic involvement, citing Europe’s financial support for Ukraine in the ongoing war effort. “Both sides have now agreed to expand the next round of negotiations to include our European partners,” Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law, wrote in a statement shared on social media. “This will allow us to address the broader postwar European security arrangements alongside the territorial issues between Ukraine and Russia,” Kushner continued. “A lasting end to the fighting requires credible security guarantees, deconfliction mechanisms, and reciprocal de-escalation commitments that reduce the risk of future conflict.” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov offered a less certain commitment, saying on Friday that Europe must display its commitment to ensuring peace before Russia will let them join direct negotiations. “Once we understand their genuine intention and readiness to contribute to the peace process, then it will be possible to make a decision on holding dialogue on a Ukrainian settlement in an expanded format,” Peskov said, according to Reuters. European diplomats were present during the three days of trilateral talks involving delegations from the U. S., Russia and Ukraine in Abu Dhabi this week, but they remained on the sidelines. The U. S. and Ukraine have pushed for European countries to appoint an individual representative to engage in direct negotiations. Peskov indicated the Kremlin’s openness to contact with a European leader before agreeing to include a European representative in direct negotiations. However, he declined to comment when asked directly on Friday whether the government would welcome French President Emmanuel Macron in this role. “Every hour, reports are appearing that name completely different candidates,” he told Reuters. “So for the time being we are not in a position to say anything specific.” The Kremlin spokesperson also declined to comment on whether his government would accept European Union policy chief Kaja Kallas as Europe’s representative for direct talks. In Friday remarks in Dublin, Kallas cast doubt on Russia’s ability to follow through on its promises and stressed the importance of Europe being involved in peace negotiations. “For any deal between Russia and Ukraine, for this implementation, we also need the Europeans,” she told reporters. “That is why the Europeans have to be at the table,” Kallas continued. “But I hope we are not just at the table, but we are actually also really influencing the outcome of these negotiations.” Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.