Amid a war that has ground on for years and claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, the question of who gets to sit at the table is becoming as consequential as the terms themselves. US envoy Jared Kushner, working alongside Steve Witkoff, has said that Kyiv and Moscow both recognise compromise will be unavoidable, and that Europe must be brought into direct contact with Moscow. Abu Dhabi talks produced no breakthrough but did yield a prisoner exchange, a small human mercy in a larger impasse. The coming weeks will reveal whether diplomacy can move from managing the war toward shaping the peac
Kushner Says He Aims to Broker Direct Europe-Russia Talks on Ukraine Peace Process
Leaks from Russia's statistics agency suggest Moscow's war effort has cost at least 450,000 soldiers' lives.
The fighting has continued while diplomacy goes on.
Mark
Why does Kushner's comment matter more than the usual talk of next steps?
Mimi
Because it names Europe as a direct party to Moscow, not just a bystander. Europe agreed on Friday to send five representatives, and Kushner now says he wants to facilitate engagement between the two.
Luke
Careful, though. That's his stated aim. Nothing in the reporting says a Europe-Russia meeting has been scheduled.
Mark
And Russia's position?
Mimi
The Kremlin has signalled openness to talking with Europe, but it has criticised the bloc for lacking proposals.
Luke
Openness is a signal, not an agreement. Hanna's point that Russian acceptance could be important is analysis, and he says it could be, not that it is.
Mark
What about the five countries?
Mimi
France, Germany, Italy, Poland and the UK. They've signalled readiness to send troops in a coalition of the willing if a ceasefire comes.
Luke
Readiness is also not a commitment. And the ceasefire is a big if.
Mark
The Donbas question seems to be the hard part.
Mimi
Zelenskyy said US negotiators asked whether Ukraine would withdraw from Donbas in exchange for joining NATO.
Luke
That's Zelenskyy's account. The reporting doesn't give a US or Russian confirmation, and Abu Dhabi produced a prisoner exchange but no breakthrough.
Mark
And the 450,000 figure?
Luke
It comes from leaks, not an official release, so treat it as reported, not confirmed.
The Pulse
- Abu Dhabi talks ended without a breakthrough, leaving negotiators scrambling for a new path forward.
- Five European powers, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and the UK, are stepping in to speak for the continent at future talks.
- Washington is pushing for direct Europe-Moscow engagement, and Moscow says it is open to it while criticising Europe for having offered no proposals.
- A dispute over whether Ukraine would trade Donbas territory for NATO membership is keeping the shape of any deal deeply contested.
- Fighting continues on the ground, with leaked figures suggesting Russia has lost at least 450,000 soldiers, and a possible new round of multilateral talks is now under discussion.
Amid a war that has ground on for years and claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, the question of who gets to sit at the table is becoming as consequential as the terms themselves. US envoy Jared Kushner, working alongside Steve Witkoff, has said that Kyiv and Moscow both recognise compromise will be unavoidable, and that Europe must be brought into direct contact with Moscow. Abu Dhabi talks produced no breakthrough but did yield a prisoner exchange, a small human mercy in a larger impasse. The coming weeks will reveal whether diplomacy can move from managing the war toward shaping the peace.
On Saturday, US envoy Jared Kushner told reporters that he and Steve Witkoff are working with Russia, Ukraine and Europe to move the peace process forward. He said both Kyiv and Moscow understand that compromise will be necessary to end the war, and that part of the next stage is arranging direct contact between Europe and Moscow.
The remarks came after talks in Abu Dhabi that ended without a breakthrough on the war, though they did produce a prisoner exchange. Europe's place at the table is now taking shape. Five countries, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and the United Kingdom, will represent the bloc in future talks, and all have signalled readiness to contribute troops to a coalition that would secure Ukraine after any ceasefire.
Zelenskyy has insisted that European security cannot be discussed without Europe, while the Kremlin says it is open to negotiating with the continent but has faulted it for offering no proposals. Negotiators are hinting at another round of multilateral talks. Yet the terms remain fiercely disputed: Zelenskyy said US negotiators asked whether Ukraine would withdraw from Donbas in exchange for NATO membership.
As diplomacy continues, the fighting has not stopped, and leaked figures from Russia's statistics agency suggest at least 450,000 Russian soldiers have died. The coming weeks will show whether a new round of talks is scheduled, whether European representatives sit across from Russian officials, and whether NATO-backed guarantees become part of the framework.
On Saturday, US envoy Jared Kushner told reporters he is working with Russia, Ukraine and Europe to move the Ukraine peace process to its next stage, and that this includes helping arrange direct engagement between Europe and Moscow. He said that "both sides", Kyiv and Moscow, understand that compromises will be needed to end Russia's war on Ukraine, and that he and fellow envoy Steve Witkoff are now working on what comes next.
His remarks followed talks in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. Those talks produced no breakthrough on ending the war, but they did result in a prisoner exchange.
Europe's place at the table has been taking shape in recent weeks. On Friday, European leaders agreed to send five representatives to future peace talks on behalf of the bloc. The five countries are France, Germany, Italy, Poland and the United Kingdom. All five have signalled they are ready to contribute troops to a "coalition of the willing" that would secure Ukraine if a ceasefire takes hold.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Wednesday that he did not think it possible to consider European security "without Europe". The Kremlin, for its part, has signalled it is open to negotiating with Europe, though it has criticised the bloc for not putting forward proposals.
Al Jazeera's Mike Hanna, reporting from Washington, DC, said Russian acceptance of European participation, as Kushner has accepted it, "could actually be important". Hanna noted that Kushner also referred directly to the security guarantees Ukraine requires, and made clear that NATO would be the one to provide them. Hanna added that negotiators are suggesting another round of multilateral talks may follow, building on what has been described as "substantial progress" in the recent discussions.
French President Emmanuel Macron weighed in with a lengthy post on X on Saturday. He wrote that Europe must "state clearly" what it wants for the post-war period, "including to the Russians". Macron also said Ukraine, which has Europe's largest conventional army, has a key role to play in Europe's post-war arrangements alongside NATO, which he called a "place where it fully belongs".
The shape of any deal remains contested. Zelenskyy said on Friday that US negotiators in Abu Dhabi asked whether Ukraine would pull its troops out of Donbas, its eastern region, most of which Russia occupies, in exchange for joining NATO.
The fighting has continued while diplomacy goes on. Leaks in November from Russia's official statistics agency indicated that Moscow's war effort has so far cost the lives of at least 450,000 soldiers.
What to watch now is whether the suggested new round of multilateral negotiations is scheduled, whether Europe's five representatives sit across from Russian officials, and whether NATO-backed security guarantees become part of the framework.
Notable Quotes
Both sides know compromises will be necessary to end the war; he and Witkoff are working on next steps.— Jared Kushner, US envoy, speaking to reporters on Saturday
Europe must state clearly what it wants for the post-war period, including to the Russians.— Emmanuel Macron, French president, in a post on X
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