U.S. envoy Jared Kushner said Russia and Ukraine agreed to include European partners in their next talks as Washington pursues a prisoner exchange that could reunite thousands of people with their families.
In a post on X, Kushner described the proposed swap as potentially the largest of the war. He did not provide a number, date or terms. His later post also did not say whether negotiators had finalized a count.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv was counting on a swap that would set a new wartime high after meeting Kushner and fellow U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff in Dublin. Zelenskyy’s office said the discussions also covered a greater European role in diplomacy and preparations for more talks involving multiple parties.
Kushner said the expanded negotiations would address European security and territorial questions, with major disagreements still unresolved. The European track follows earlier efforts to widen the dialogue, as EconoTimes previously reported.
The Associated Press reported that Russia and Ukraine confirmed plans for a prisoner-of-war exchange after U.S.-mediated meetings in Abu Dhabi on Nov. 10-11. AP reported that Russian delegation head Vladimir Medinsky called the arrangement an agreement in principle, and that Kushner expected the number to be finalized on Nov. 12. Kushner’s later post did not say whether that had happened.
AP described the Abu Dhabi meetings as the first direct talks between Russian and Ukrainian representatives in nine months and reported they ended without a major breakthrough on a broader settlement. AP also reported that Moscow had opposed European participation in direct talks. Kushner said he would share the schedule and further details on the negotiating agenda soon.
