--- title: "Kushner: Europe Needs a Single Negotiator — And That Is Harder Than Persuading Russia" description: "Trump envoy Jared Kushner stated that Europe should be a full participant in Ukraine talks but needs a single representative to do so. According to Politico, the U.S. is pressuring Russia, which opposes European participation." date: 2026-11-11T13:36:52.398Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/kushner-europe-negotiations-ukraine-abu-dabi tags: [ukraine-war, jared-kushner, eu-negotiations, abu-dhabi, trump-administration] author: "Alexander Buran" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Kushner: Europe Needs a Single Negotiator — And That Is Harder Than Persuading Russia ![Jared Kushner in a sharp suit at a business meeting, serious gaze at the camera](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/11/kushner-evropa-peregovory-ukraina-abu-dabi/kushner-evropa-peregovory-ukraina-abu-dabi-1.webp) ## Key Points - Kushner stated that Europe should be a full participant in negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. - According to him, Europe reaching an agreement on a single representative would be a greater achievement than persuading Russia. - The U.S. informed Moscow that for European guarantees, de-escalation measures and the Kremlin's own proposals are needed. - According to Politico, the U.S. is pressuring Russia, which opposes European participation in the negotiations. - On November 12, Kushner and Witkoff will travel to Moscow to meet with Putin following the Abu Dhabi round. 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. ## Accounts differ ### European participation in Ukraine negotiations - **U.S. (Jared Kushner):** Europe should be a full participant in the negotiations, and its presence in Abu Dhabi was important and useful. ([rbc.ua](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/ssha-hochut-bachiti-evropu-peregovorah-kushner-1794399385.html)) - **Russia:** Opposes European participation in conflict settlement negotiations. ([unn.ua](https://unn.ua/ru/news/poslanniki-trampa-budut-davit-na-rf-po-voprosu-uchastiya-yevropi-v-mirnikh-peregovorakh-politico)) *Where they agree:* The U.S. advocates for including Europe in the negotiation process—this is confirmed by both Kushner's statement and Politico reports; trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi have taken place. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [США хотят видеть Европу на переговорах: Кушнер объяснил, что мешает](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/ssha-hochut-bachiti-evropu-peregovorah-kushner-1794399385.html) - Primary source: Kushner's quotes on a single European representative, EU/NATO presence, de-escalation, and the Moscow round; November 11 prisoner swap. - [Politico: США хотят видеть ЕС за столом переговоров по Украине](https://expert.ru/news/politico-ssha-khotyat-videt-es-za-stolom-peregovorov-po-ukraine) - Confirms Washington's intent to urge Russia to admit Europe to the next round (Nov 10-11). - [Посланники Трампа будут давить на рф по вопросу участия Европы в мирных переговорах - Politico](https://unn.ua/ru/news/poslanniki-trampa-budut-davit-na-rf-po-voprosu-uchastiya-yevropi-v-mirnikh-peregovorakh-politico) - Indicates that Russia opposes European participation; Kushner and Witkoff will advocate for Europe's role. - [США оказывают давление на РФ, требуя предоставить Европе место за столом переговоров по Украине ...](https://zn.ua/POLITICS/ssha-okazyvajut-davlenie-na-rf-trebuja-predostavit-evrope-mesto-za-stolom-perehovorov-po-ukraine-politico.html) - Confirms U.S. pressure on the RF and European concerns about being left aside. ## FAQ ### What did Kushner say about European participation in the negotiations? He stated that Europe should be a full participant in negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, but for this, European countries need to agree on a common position and, as he put it, define a single representative. ### What is Russia's position on European participation? According to Politico, Russia opposes European participation in the negotiations, while the U.S. is pressuring Moscow to allow Europe to join the next round. ### What is planned after the Abu Dhabi round? On November 12, U.S. special representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will travel to Moscow for a meeting with Vladimir Putin; on November 11, the sides in Abu Dhabi agreed on a large-scale prisoner exchange.