Jared Kushner a affirmé qu’il est impossible de finaliser cet arrangement entre Kiev et Moscou « sans que les Européens soient à la table des négociations ».
The diplomatic architecture surrounding the nearly five-year war in Ukraine shifted on Thursday, November 13, 2026, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and senior American emissaries announced that European partners will secure a formalized voice in upcoming peace negotiations.
The announcement follows intense bilateral talks held earlier in the week in Abu Dhabi, mediated by American envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff. Those discussions marked the first direct talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in more than eight months, according to reporting from Boursorama.
Following the sessions in the United Arab Emirates, Kushner and Witkoff traveled directly to Moscow for a four-hour meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin before flying to Dublin to brief Zelensky.
While European leaders previously remained isolated on the sidelines of the negotiations, the next diplomatic cycle promises direct participation. « Ils auront une voix », a affirmé Zelensky, specifying that European representatives will transition from peripheral observers to active participants, as reported by Le Parisien.
Macron Emphasizes European Security Autonomy in Dublin
The breakthrough announcement coincided with a gathering of the European Political Community in Dublin. French President Emmanuel Macron seized the moment to emphasize continental autonomy regarding security architectures.
« Aucune décision concernant la sécurité de l’Europe ne peut se prendre sans les Européens », a déclaré Emmanuel Macron, président français, à l’issue du sommet de la Communauté politique européenne réuni jeudi à Dublin.
Macron added via social media that the forty nations present take joint responsibility for their primary security while standing firmly alongside Ukraine, whose defense remains integral to the security of the wider continent.
Meanwhile, Kushner confirmed via the platform X that both primary parties agreed to expand the upcoming negotiating framework to formally include European stakeholders. He said that while significant divergences remain, the diplomatic track is advancing, with specific calendars and procedural details expected shortly.
Moscow’s Stance and Territorial Realities
Despite the optimism expressed by Washington and Kiev, the Kremlin has yet to officially confirm its explicit agreement to include European entities in future peace talks. Putin maintained a rigid posture during a rare, televised exchange with the American emissaries broadcast on Russian state television.
During these discussions, Putin explicitly rejected the establishment of gray zones or demilitarized buffers along the active frontlines. The Russian leader also characterized the potential deployment of foreign troops inside Ukraine—a key security guarantee demanded by Kiev—as « absolument inacceptable ».
Military positioning on the ground remains deeply contested. Russian forces currently occupy slightly more than nineteen percent of Ukrainian territory. Moscow continues to claim the annexation of four partially controlled Ukrainian regions: Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson. Kiev and its international allies steadfastly reject these territorial claims.
| Metric / Parameter | Current Status (November 2026) | Core Parties Involved |
|---|---|---|
| Conflict Duration | Approaching five years since the full-scale invasion | Russia, Ukraine, US Envoys, European Union |
| Territorial Control | Russia occupies >19% of Ukrainian territory | Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson |
| Recent Mediation Venue | Abu Dhabi (Direct talks), Moscow, and Dublin | Jared Kushner, Steve Witkoff, Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelensky |
Negotiators Target a Massive Prisoner Swap
Beyond the structural expansion of the negotiating table, immediate humanitarian measures are currently under active discussion. American negotiators revealed that ongoing diplomatic channels are targeting a massive prisoner swap.
Selon des précisions apportées par France 24, l’émissaire du président américain Donald Trump, Jared Kushner, a affirmé : « Nous travaillons également sur ce qui constituerait le plus important échange de prisonniers dans cette guerre, possiblement pour réunir des milliers de personnes avec leurs familles ».
As Le Monde.fr noted in its ongoing coverage, Zelensky emphasized that upcoming dialogue cycles must prioritize sustainable truces and genuine de-escalation. The exact scheduling and structural format of the expanded talks involving European diplomats remain to be finalized.
