US Envoy Jared Kushner Seeks to Facilitate Direct Peace Talks Between Europe and Russia Over Ukraine

US envoy Jared Kushner has announced his efforts to advance peace negotiations between Russia, Ukraine, and Europe, specifically aiming to facilitate direct engagement between Moscow and European leaders.

Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Kushner stated that both parties recognize the necessity of compromises to end the conflict. He noted that he and fellow envoy Steve Witkoff are currently coordinating the next steps in the process.

These remarks follow recent peace talks in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, which, while failing to achieve a comprehensive breakthrough to end the war, did result in a prisoner exchange. The role of Europe in these negotiations has increased recently, with leaders agreeing on Friday to appoint five representatives from European countries to represent the bloc at future talks.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized on Wednesday that European security cannot be considered without the involvement of Europe. Meanwhile, the Kremlin has expressed openness to negotiations with Europe, though it has criticized the lack of concrete proposals from the bloc.

The five participating countries—the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, and Poland—are the same nations that have indicated a readiness to deploy troops as part of a "coalition of the willing" to secure Ukraine following a potential ceasefire.

In a detailed post on X on Saturday, French President Emmanuel Macron urged the bloc to clearly define its goals for the post-war period, including to the Russians. Macron also highlighted that Ukraine, possessing Europe's largest conventional army, should play a key role in the post-war European context alongside NATO, stating that NATO is a place where Ukraine fully belongs.

President Zelenskyy revealed on Friday that during the Abu Dhabi talks, US negotiators inquired whether Ukraine would withdraw troops from the eastern Donbas region in exchange for NATO membership.

As negotiations proceed, the conflict continues. Recent leaks from Russia's official statistics agency in November showed that Russia's war effort has resulted in the deaths of at least 450,000 soldiers.