US Envoys Meet Putin and Zelenskyy as Europe Secures Seat at Future Peace Talks

Europe will join the next round of peace talks with Russia following high-level meetings between American envoys and leaders in Moscow and Dublin.

The Talks

U.S. special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff spent over four hours in talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin inside the Kremlin on Thursday. Following the Moscow meetings, the envoys flew to Ireland to debrief Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on a military airbase tarmac in Dublin. Both Mr. Zelenskyy and Mr. Kushner announced that European negotiators will now take part in upcoming negotiations rather than remaining on the sidelines. Mr. Kushner wrote on X that both sides agreed to expand the next round to include European partners, though the Kremlin did not explicitly confirm Mr. Putin's agreement to this change.

Hardline Stance

Despite the diplomatic movement, Mr. Putin maintained his hardline positions during the televised opening exchange of the Kremlin meeting. He rejected territorial settlements involving demilitarized zones and stated that Moscow would only recognize the official state border. He also ruled out foreign peacekeeping troops in Ukraine, calling any such deployment a continuation of the war and a legitimate target. In addition, Mr. Putin proposed a humanitarian mission to the contested city of Kostyantynivka, though Ukrainian adviser Dytmro Lytvyn warned that Russia would use the operation to rotate in new troops.

Prisoner Exchange

Thursday also brought an agreement between Russia and Ukraine on a new prisoner exchange. Described as the largest swap yet since the full-scale invasion began in 2022, Mr. Kushner stated it would return thousands of people to their families, although exact numbers and a timeline were not disclosed.

Context

Russia has seized roughly one-fifth of Ukrainian territory since its full-scale invasion in 2022, building on its earlier 2014 annexation of Crimea. European leaders have repeatedly expressed deep security concerns over Moscow's efforts to reshape the continent's security architecture.