Zelensky welcomes pledge to include EU in next Russia peace talks
US envoys promised European participation in the next round of negotiations as Russia maintained its territorial demands and both sides agreed to a new prisoner exchange.
By Amir Navarro ·
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has welcomed a commitment from US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff to bring European Union delegates into the next round of peace negotiations with Russia. The pledge came as European leaders voiced growing concern about the continent's security and the prospects for ending the war.
Kushner and Witkoff met Zelensky in Dublin on Thursday evening after earlier discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Putin said Russia's position on the conflict, including its demands for territory, remained unchanged. The diplomatic visits followed negotiations in Abu Dhabi last week that ended without a breakthrough.
Russia and Ukraine nevertheless agreed on Thursday to a prisoner exchange described as the largest since Russia began its full-scale invasion in 2022. Kushner said the agreement would bring thousands of people back to their families. No precise prisoner count or timetable for carrying out the exchange was provided.
Zelensky has sought European participation in the negotiations for several years, linking that request to Ukraine's longer-term goal of joining the EU. He said their inclusion would give the bloc a voice in the process. Kushner said Washington had been cooperating closely with European partners over recent months and had emphasised to Putin the importance of their presence in negotiations. Of Putin's response, he said: "He's willing to give it a try."
Moscow has previously dismissed a European role, while European governments have argued that they are essential to shaping arrangements on their continent after the war. Ukraine and Europe have also questioned the current US administration's commitment to European security and its increasingly accommodating approach towards the Kremlin. Speaking to BBC's Newshour on Thursday, Kaja Kallas, the European Commission vice president and the EU's top diplomat, said the presence of a European delegate suggested Moscow recognised Europe's importance. She remained doubtful about Russian momentum towards a peace agreement.
Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin, addressing European leaders gathered in Dublin on Thursday, said Russia's war had fundamentally altered regional security. He told reporters that many EU countries viewed events in Ukraine as an existential threat and feared further aggression in Europe if Ukraine fell. Russian forces continue to control approximately one-fifth of Ukrainian territory, while cross-border incursions are becoming more frequent.
Strains between Washington and Kyiv were also evident before Zelensky's meeting with the American envoys. The Ukrainian president said his military faced increasingly systematic restrictions on Starshield, Starlink's military-grade satellite service, hampering efforts to intercept Russian jet-powered drones. The technology, owned by Elon Musk's SpaceX, has been vital to Ukrainian government and military connectivity and is playing a growing role in communications along the front line.
