Kushner: Europe Needs a Single Negotiator — And That Is Harder Than Persuading Russia

At a press conference following the second day of trilateral meetings in Abu Dhabi, U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy, Jared Kushner, stated that Europe must become a full participant in negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. According to him, to effectively represent its interests, European countries must first agree on a common position. The statement came as Ukrainian and Russian sides agreed on a large-scale exchange of prisoners of war on November 11 in Abu Dhabi, and Kushner and Steve Witkoff are planning to fly to Moscow on November 12 to meet with Vladimir Putin.

A "Single Representative" as a Key Condition

Responding to a question about European participation in the negotiation process, Kushner noted that it would be a significant achievement for Europe to agree on a single representative. By his assessment, this task might prove more difficult than persuading Russia to include Europe in the negotiations. "If Europeans could identify one person to negotiate, that would be a bigger achievement than convincing the Russians to involve Europe in the negotiations. Europe is a very diverse mix of different people, views, and interests," he emphasized. Thus, Washington is effectively shifting some of the responsibility for including Europe in the process onto European capitals themselves, pointing to their internal heterogeneity.

The Presence of the EU and NATO and the Issue of Trust

At the same time, Kushner emphasized that the presence of EU and NATO representatives at the Abu Dhabi meetings was important and useful, and that European countries should be involved in the negotiation process. He explained that the U.S. had informed the Russian side that while it may have its own wishes and concerns that are acceptable to discuss, in order for Europe to receive proper guarantees, Moscow needs to take de-escalation measures and put forward its own proposals. "There is no trust between the parties right now, and that is to be expected after a conflict like this one," the Trump envoy added.

Pressure on Moscow and Russia's Stance

According to Politico, U.S. presidential envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff intend to pressure Russia to allow Europe to join the next round of conflict settlement talks. However, sources report that Moscow opposes European participation in the process. European governments and EU institutions, according to Politico, "likely won't have to spend long deciding who they want to see at the negotiating table on their behalf," indicating Washington's desire to accelerate the pace and make the current meeting the last one held without full European participation.

Transition to the Moscow Round

Kushner expressed hope that the next meeting in Moscow, with his and Steve Witkoff's participation, would allow for progress in the talks. "I hope that tomorrow in Moscow, Steve and I will have success, Putin will bless it, and we will be able to achieve more progress," he stated. Thus, after the Abu Dhabi round, which concluded with a prisoner swap agreement, the negotiation process is moving into the Moscow phase, where the key issue remains the format and composition of participants, including the role of Europe.