Putin agrees to European role in next Ukraine peace talks, Kushner says after meeting Zelenskyy
U.S. President Donald Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy near Dublin on November 12, hours after holding talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
The meeting took place at Casement Aerodrome outside the Irish capital, Ukraine's Presidential Office told hromadske.
Speaking at a joint briefing, Kushner said Putin had agreed to European participation in the next round of negotiations aimed at ending Russia's war against Ukraine.
"I think it's impossible to make a deal without Europe," Kushner said, adding that both Russia and European countries had publicly expressed positions that could be discussed more calmly once their representatives sat down together.
Zelenskyy confirmed that another round of talks was being prepared following trilateral negotiations between Ukraine, Russia and the United States in Abu Dhabi on November 10–11.
He described the planned inclusion of European representatives as a major achievement for the American negotiating team.
Prisoner exchange involving thousands
Another potential outcome of the negotiations is a large-scale prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia.
Kushner said an agreement had been finalized during the Moscow meeting that could allow "thousands of people" to return to their families.
Zelenskyy described the planned exchange as the most important result of the diplomatic efforts.
Neither side announced a date for the exchange or a confirmed number of prisoners to be released.
Security guarantees and reconstruction
Kushner also said the United States was working with Zelenskyy's team on a postwar economic development plan for Ukraine and security guarantees intended to prevent another Russian invasion.
He praised Ukraine's wartime innovation and resilience, saying the same capabilities could help drive its economic recovery.
Witkoff said Trump remained committed to ending the war and had instructed both envoys to pursue that goal.
He said they had flown to Ireland to brief Zelenskyy personally on what they considered positive results from their discussions in Moscow.
Earlier on November 12, Witkoff told CNN that his meeting with Putin had produced "some progress," including an agreement to resume negotiations involving Ukraine, Russia and the United States.
The diplomatic meetings followed two days of talks in Abu Dhabi, where delegations discussed a possible cessation of hostilities, security arrangements and the broader framework for a peace settlement.
No ceasefire agreement or final peace deal has been announced.