Europe to Join Next Round of Ukraine Peace Talks, U.S. Envoys Say

By Sarah Collins | November 13, 2026

European nations are set to join the next round of talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, U.S. envoys said on Thursday, giving Europe a seat at a table it has watched from the sidelines. Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law and special envoy, said Russia and Ukraine had agreed to include European partners in the next round. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made the same announcement after meeting the envoys in Dublin. But Moscow has not confirmed the agreement, leaving the format of the next round uncertain.

### A Diplomatic Sprint From Moscow to Dublin

The announcement capped a fast-moving day of shuttle diplomacy: Kushner and fellow envoy Steve Witkoff met Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on Thursday morning, then flew to Dublin to brief Zelenskyy. It followed direct talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Abu Dhabi on November 10 and 11, the first such U.S.-brokered meetings since February. Zelenskyy said Europeans had been sidelined in Abu Dhabi, meeting the American and Ukrainian teams outside the main room. Kushner, speaking beside Zelenskyy, said that had to change. "We cannot conclude this deal without the Europeans being at the table," he said. He added that Putin was willing to "give it a try." Witkoff said the next meeting was already "on the schedule," though he gave no date or place, and no European representatives have been confirmed, according to France 24.

### Who Speaks for Europe?

Who fills that seat remains unresolved. European leaders debated the issue on Thursday at a European Political Community summit, where around 40 leaders gathered for the forum's ninth session, including Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz pointed to the E3 format of Germany, France and the United Kingdom, and to a group of five that adds Italy and Poland. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has argued the seat belongs to European Council President Antonio Costa and herself. Macron and Merz both played down any rush to name a representative, stressing the need for a common European position first. Macron told the summit that "without Europeans, there is no support for Ukraine." Kushner said that "if Europe could identify one person to speak on their behalf, that would be a bigger achievement than getting the Russians to include them in the negotiation." The Kremlin sounded a different note: spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Europe would first have to name a representative before it could join the talks, and Putin aide Yuri Ushakov said Europeans "must decide whether they want peace or the continuation of the war."

### A Possible Meeting in Shenzhen

Attention now turns to next week, when leaders gather in Shenzhen, China, for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit on November 18 and 19. Trump said on November 8 that he expects to meet Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping there, telling reporters: "One of the meetings, I think, will be with President Putin and President Xi, and that'll be interesting." China confirmed on November 4 that it is in talks with Russia and the United States about a potential trilateral meeting, though no final decision has been made. The Kremlin said on October 21 that such a meeting was "being prepared." Trump has said the talks would cover denuclearization and efforts to end the war in Iran. Zelenskyy also said the next round would include the largest prisoner exchange of the war, though no details have been released. For now, the diplomacy has produced a promise of a European seat, but not yet a date, a venue, or a name to fill it.

Sources: France 24, Le Monde, The Associated Press, Reuters, China Daily