The US is working to facilitate direct diplomatic engagement between Moscow and European partners while preparing the agenda for the next round of trilateral peace negotiations, US presidential envoy Jared Kushner announced on Saturday, Nov. 14.
Writing on X following recent trilateral sessions in Abu Dhabi and subsequent consultations with President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kushner stated that he and fellow US envoy Steve Witkoff remain in close contact with Kyiv, Moscow, and European capitals.
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“Our focus now is on facilitating direct engagement between Moscow and European partners and preparing the agenda for the next round of trilateral talks,” Kushner wrote.
He noted that recent consultations have generated several new concepts currently under evaluation, stating that some could lead directly to diplomatic breakthroughs while others may evolve into formal proposals to bridge remaining divides.
NATO and postwar security guarantees
Kushner emphasized that any durable peace settlement must be anchored by credible security guarantees for Ukraine and concrete postwar arrangements capable of preventing renewed Russian aggression.
“NATO will remain a critical pillar of European security, enhanced by stronger mechanisms for military, communication, deconfliction, and reciprocal de-escalation, with practical ways to address disputes before they become crises. This is why we are working to bring our European partners directly into these discussions,” Kushner stated.
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He stressed that any final settlement must receive the explicit consent of all relevant parties, affirming that US President Donald Trump will back only arrangements that reinforce Ukrainian and European security and reduce the likelihood of future conflict.
Addressing public skepticism surrounding the negotiations, Kushner contrasted harsh public statements with private diplomatic deliberations.
“The press has reported some of the maximalist positions proposed by both sides, along with strong political rhetoric. In our private discussions, both sides understand that practical compromises will be necessary to end this war,” he wrote, adding that Washington will maintain confidentiality around sensitive discussions while working toward a durable peace.
Negotiating sequence
Kushner’s update follows the Nov. 10-11 trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi – the first three-way meetings between Ukraine, the US, and Russia since February – and subsequent consultations in Moscow and Dublin.
On Friday, Nov. 13, President Zelensky confirmed that Washington and Moscow agreed to seat three to five European representatives directly at the main negotiating table for the next round, moving them out of side-room consultations, and asked European allies to select their delegates by the end of November.
However, both Kyiv and European capitals have voiced strong caution regarding US proposals to negotiate a broader European-Russian security architecture modeled on the defunct NATO-Russia Council before halting active hostilities.
Zelensky warned that prioritizing continental security restructuring ahead of ending the war in Ukraine is dangerous and plays into Kremlin objectives, insisting that negotiations must follow a strict sequence: establishing a ceasefire, ending Russia’s war against Ukraine, and securing binding security guarantees for Kyiv before addressing wider European frameworks.
Source: www.kyivpost.com
