US President Donald Trump’s envoy and son-in-law Jared Kushner said on Thursday that Russia and Ukraine agreed to expand the next round of talks to include European nations as Washington works toward the war’s “largest prisoner exchange.”
The remarks came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed news of European presence at the next round of the US-brokered peace talks, saying he hoped the agenda would include efforts towards ceasefires and defusing the conflict.
Today concluded three days of intense diplomacy aimed at ending the horrible war between Russia and Ukraine. Following detailed trilateral negotiations with the Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Abu Dhabi, we traveled to Moscow for direct discussions with President Putin, then to Dublin to meet with President Zelenskyy. We concluded the day consulting with National Security Advisors from Ukraine, Germany, Italy, EU, France, Ireland, and Poland. A tremendous amount of work has gone into restarting direct negotiations after many months. We have made meaningful progress in understanding both sides’ concerns, identifying possible solutions, and establishing a path forward. Both sides have now agreed to expand the next round of negotiations to include our European partners. This will allow us to address the broader postwar European security arrangements alongside the territorial issues between Ukraine and Russia. A lasting end to the fighting requires credible security guarantees, deconfliction mechanisms, and reciprocal de-escalation commitments that reduce the risk of future conflict. We agreed with President Zelenskyy to remain in close contact with him and his team, and reaffirmed that no broader European security arrangements will be finalized without addressing Ukraine’s security concerns. We will begin discussing these interconnected issues in parallel, with the understanding that, apart from humanitarian measures, nothing will be finalized until a comprehensive agreement is reached. We are also working toward what would be the largest prisoner exchange of the war, potentially reuniting thousands of people with their families. Many people’s lives have been devastated by this war and we hope both sides will demonstrate the good will and seriousness necessary to complete this important step. We expect to announce the negotiating tracks, schedule, and additional details shortly. President Trump is determined to end this horrible war. Significant differences remain, but we are encouraged by the progress made. We will undertake whatever hard diplomatic work is necessary to find a breakthrough that ends the fighting and creates the foundation for lasting peace, a sovereign, secure, and prosperous Ukraine, and a more stable Europe.
— Jared Kushner (@jaredkushner) November 13, 2026
“We are also working toward what would be the largest prisoner exchange of the war, potentially reuniting thousands of people with their families,” Kushner wrote on X/Twitter, without giving details of the deal.
Expansion of the next round of talks with European partners would allow the tackling of “broader postwar European security arrangements alongside the territorial issues between Ukraine and Russia,” Kushner said.
Washington was encouraged by the progress made, he said, but added that significant differences remained.
Zelensky, speaking after talks with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Kushner, said it was important the process had resumed, following this week’s round of talks in Abu Dhabi that was the first in nine months.
European representatives join the next round of talks
Earlier, Witkoff said Vladimir Putin agreed to let European representatives join the next round of talks, though the Russian president also urged Washington to work with European allies to understand if they wanted peace or war in Ukraine.
Kushner and Witkoff traveled to Moscow to meet Putin and to Dublin to meet Zelenskiy.
In his statement, Kushner said a lasting end to the fighting required credible security guarantees and “reciprocal” de-escalation commitments to reduce the risk of future conflict.
Kyiv and Moscow said major differences remained despite some progress, particularly on territorial issues. Russia holds a fifth of Ukraine, and Kyiv refuses to give up the rest of its eastern region of Donbas.
Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Trump, who vowed to end the war when he returned to the White House, has yet to reach a deal on that front.
