Europe joins Ukraine peace push as US works towards war’s ‘largest prisoner exchange’
Russia and Ukraine have agreed to bring European nations into the next round of peace negotiations, US President Donald Trump’s envoy and son-in-law Jared Kushner said on Thursday, as Washington pushes for what could become the war’s “largest prisoner exchange”. Kushner said the expanded format would give negotiators an opportunity to discuss wider European security concerns along with the territorial dispute between Moscow and Kyiv. He said the US was encouraged by the movement in negotiations, although substantial differences between the two sides continued to stand in the way of a settlement. After meeting US envoys Steve Witkoff and Kushner, he said the resumption of diplomatic engagement was significant and voiced hope that the discussions would address ceasefire efforts and ways to ease the conflict. Witkoff had earlier said Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to European representatives joining the upcoming negotiations. Kushner said any sustainable agreement would need credible security guarantees and “reciprocal” commitments to de-escalate tensions to prevent another conflict.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also welcomed the possibility of European countries joining the next round of US-led discussions. Putin, however, also called on Washington to engage with its European allies to determine whether they were seeking peace or war in Ukraine.