Zelensky welcomes US move to include Europe in Russia-Ukraine peace talks

President Zelensky has spent several years advocating for European delegates to be included in peace negotiations. He believes this inclusion is logical given Kyiv’s long-term goal of joining the European Union.

On Thursday, Kushner stated that the US has been "working very, very closely over the past several months with Europeans and I think that that's been very important." Kushner also mentioned that he had emphasised to Putin the necessity of having European representatives "at the table." He added, "He's willing to give it a try."

Both Ukraine and Europe have harboured concerns regarding the current US government's dedication to European security and its perceived softening stance toward the Kremlin. Although Moscow has previously dismissed European involvement, European leaders have maintained that they are essential to any post-war dynamics on the continent.

Earlier on Thursday, Kaja Kallas, the Vice President of the European Commission and the EU's top diplomat, told BBC's Newshour that the involvement of a European delegate demonstrated that the Kremlin "now realised that Europe is a big player." However, Kallas also voiced scepticism regarding whether Russia was genuinely moving toward a peace agreement.

In the Irish capital on Thursday, Taoiseach Micheál Martin addressed a gathering of European leaders, stating that he believed the region's security had been "fundamentally reshaped" by the war. "Many member states [of the EU] feel an existential threat because of what has happened in Ukraine and the potential, if Ukraine was to fall, for further aggression on the European continent," he told reporters.

Currently, approximately one-fifth of Ukraine remains under the control of Russian forces, with cross-border incursions becoming increasingly frequent. Tensions between the US and Ukraine were visible on Thursday prior to a meeting between Witkoff, Kushner, and Zelensky.

The Ukrainian leader noted earlier that the military was encountering more "systematic" restrictions regarding Starshield, the military-grade version of the Starlink satellite service. These limitations have made it difficult for Kyiv to intercept Russian jet-powered drones. This technology, owned by Elon Musk's SpaceX company, has served as a vital tool for government and military connectivity, increasingly assisting with communications on the Ukrainian front line.