Daniel Wolfram
Are Trump changing his tune? Or is this just another futile attempt of strong arming Putin before eventually caving to him once more?
This week, diplomatic talks are ramping up in Abu Dhabi and Russia in search of new ways to end the war in Ukraine.
Trump has sent his two envoys, his son-in-law and former business partner, to Russia to meet with Vladimir Putin.
Here, they are instructed by Trump to flatter Putin and beg for his blessing to involve Europe in trying to achieve what Trump has not been able to yet: peace.
Seeking Putin’s blessing
On Thursday, US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff fly to Moscow. According to Politico, they plan to ask Russian President Vladimir Putin for his “blessing” to let European leaders join future Ukraine peace talks.
Their visit follows two days of talks in Abu Dhabi between Russia, Ukraine, and the US Politico reported that those meetings produced no deals on territory, Black Sea shipping, or power grids.
Still, both sides agreed to a major prisoner swap. Kushner called it likely “the biggest” exchange of the war, although no number has been released yet. Russian state agency Tass confirmed the “large-scale” agreement.
Kushner told Politico the sessions were “pretty tough.” The Ukrainian envoys are taking it one step further: They are blaming “very strict directives” from the Kremlin for hindering further peace progress.
Dispute over European security
For Kushner, getting Europe into the negotiating room is vital. “We need to have the Europeans at the table,” he told Politico, arguing real progress depends on Putin backing their role.
Russia wants to widen the talks and rewrite Europe’s broader defense setup, which relies on NATO. US mediators have apparently agreed to review those wider rules.
European officials will explore changes to ease Russian worries. Still, they refuse to approve wider reforms before peace holds, and Kushner agreed postwar security steps will wait until territory and core disputes are settled.
Europe’s leadership dilemma
If Putin lets Europe join, Western allies face an important decision. European Union leaders meet in Dublin on Friday to pick who will represent them.
Currently, representation includes NATO and leaders from France, Germany, the U.K., and Italy. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wants input on the pick and urged allies to choose one envoy to spearhead the peace talks.
Kushner backed that plan. He told Politico that naming one European voice would help persuade Putin to include Europe.
