The announcement follows a round of negotiations in Abu Dhabi earlier this week, marking the first direct talks between the parties in nine months. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the prospect of European participation, saying he hoped the expanded agenda would address efforts toward ceasefires and the defusal of the conflict. Zelensky emphasized the importance of the diplomatic process resuming after a period of stalled negotiations.
US envoy Steve Witkoff, who traveled to Moscow to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and to Dublin to meet Zelensky, reported that Putin had agreed to allow European representatives to join the next session. However, Witkoff noted that Putin urged Washington to work with European allies to clarify whether they desire peace or war in Ukraine. Kushner added that involving European partners would enable the discussion of broader postwar European security arrangements alongside the territorial disputes between Kyiv and Moscow.
Despite the procedural progress, both Kyiv and Moscow have stated that significant differences remain, particularly regarding territorial issues. Russia currently controls a fifth of Ukrainian territory, while Kyiv refuses to cede control of the remaining parts of the eastern Donbas region. Kushner stated that a lasting end to the fighting requires credible security guarantees and “reciprocal” de-escalation commitments to reduce the risk of future conflict. He noted that while Washington is encouraged by the progress, substantial gaps in the positions of the two sides persist.
President Trump, who vowed to end the war upon returning to the White House, has yet to secure a final agreement. The next expected step is the convening of the expanded talks with European nations, where the unresolved issues of territory and security guarantees are likely to be central to the agenda.
