US promised Zelensky it would bring the EU into talks with Russia

Shuttle diplomacy: Moscow — Dublin

American envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff had a packed day of diplomacy: first they met with Vladimir Putin in Moscow, and on Thursday evening — with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Dublin. This was reported by BBC News. The meetings followed talks in Abu Dhabi last week, which brought no breakthrough in resolving the war.

A promised 'voice' for Europe

Zelensky welcomed the American envoys' promise to include EU delegates in the next round of talks with Russia — saying, in his words, this would give the EU a 'voice' in the negotiation process. He has been seeking European participation in the talks for several years and ties this to Kyiv's long-term goal of joining the EU. Kushner said the US had 'worked very closely with the Europeans over the past few months' and that he stressed to Putin the importance of having European delegates 'at the table': 'He is willing to try.' Moscow, meanwhile, has traditionally been sceptical about Europe's participation, even though Europeans see themselves as central players in any post-war settlement on the continent. European Commission Vice-President Kaja Kallas, the EU's top diplomat, noted that the presence of a European delegate shows the Kremlin 'has now realised that Europe is a major player', but expressed doubts about whether Russia is genuinely committed to a peaceful settlement.

The largest prisoner exchange and the backdrop to the meetings

On Thursday, Russia and Ukraine agreed on another prisoner exchange — the largest since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022. Kushner said it would return 'thousands of people to their families', but the number of prisoners and the timing of the exchange were not disclosed. Putin's position, according to him, has not changed, including the demand for territories. Against the backdrop of the talks, Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin, speaking before European leaders gathered in Dublin, said the security of the region had 'fundamentally changed' because of Russia's war, adding that many EU countries feel an existential threat and the risk of further aggression on the continent if Ukraine falls. Roughly a fifth of Ukraine remains under the control of Russian forces, and cross-border incursions have become more frequent. A separate point of tension between Kyiv and Washington was Zelensky's statement about 'systemic' restrictions on SpaceX's military satellite service Starshield, which have caused the Ukrainian army difficulties in intercepting Russian jet-powered drones.

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