U.S. envoys seek European role in Ukraine talks after Putin meeting
Witkoff and Kushner met with Putin for two hours in Moscow before traveling to Dublin to discuss security guarantees with Zelenskyy.
By John Ferrari ·
The diplomatic push for a Ukraine ceasefire stalled for months until this week brought the first direct talks between Ukrainian and Russian representatives in nine months. Those talks concluded in Abu Dhabi with an agreement to swap a large number of prisoners, though the exact figure remains unannounced. U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are now in Dublin, where they met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday to seek new momentum for the peace efforts.
Kushner stated that a primary goal of the two hour meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin was to secure approval for European representatives to join the negotiations. The United States and Ukraine want Europe to appoint a single negotiator to deal with Moscow. Russia, however, opposes direct European involvement, arguing that European nations are financing and supplying Ukraine's military effort.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasized that Europe must first name a representative before it can join the peace talks. He described the European approach as disorganized, stating that the Europeans squabble like spiders in a jar. Putin reaffirmed to the U.S. envoys that any European troops sent to Ukraine after a ceasefire would be absolutely unacceptable and would be regarded as a legitimate security target.
Zelenskyy is in Dublin for a meeting with more than 40 European countries, including NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. Rutte said the U.S., Europe, and Ukraine are very much aligned on the structure of security guarantees following a January meeting in Paris. He added that the region now needs the peace deal or at least a ceasefire to stabilize the situation.
Ahead of the talks, Zelenskyy suggested that political changes in the United States and Europe could create a window of opportunity for a settlement. He noted that Democrats taking over the U.S. Congress in January and upcoming elections in France could shift the diplomatic landscape. Zelenskyy called the prisoner exchange a positive step but insisted that Ukraine would not surrender Russian occupied territory in return for peace.
Fighting continues along the 1,200 kilometer front line as winter approaches. Russia's Defense Ministry said its air defenses downed 71 Ukrainian drones overnight and struck a drone manufacturing plant in Kyiv. The Ukrainian air force reported that Russia launched missiles and 123 drones, with hits recorded at 17 locations. Zelenskyy also reported that Ukraine is experiencing significant disruptions in the Starshield satellite internet system, with military units noting speed restrictions on drones.
In a separate incident, a Russian colonel was killed in St. Petersburg early Thursday when a car bomb exploded in his vehicle. The Investigative Committee confirmed the death but did not identify the victim or the perpetrators. The attack follows a series of bombings targeting senior Russian military officers that Moscow blames on Ukraine.
