US Envoys Secure Putin's Conditional OK for Europe in Ukraine Talks

U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin on Thursday before traveling to Dublin to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The meetings sought new momentum for peace efforts, following the first direct Russia-Ukraine talks in nine months, which were held in Abu Dhabi and mediated by the U.S. Those talks concluded on Wednesday without a breakthrough. Putin initially indicated he did not want European countries to play a full role, but the U.S. envoys aimed to secure his blessing for their inclusion.

Europe's Conditional Entry into Negotiations

Kushner stated the goal was to secure Putin's approval for European representatives to join the process. The Russian leader granted conditional approval. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Europe must first name a single representative before joining peace talks. Kushner urged Europe to identify one person to speak on its behalf. Zelenskyy insisted Europe must be at the table. "Next meeting, Europe will be during negotiations, will be a negotiation team, not some way, not separately. They will have a voice," he said.

Putin reaffirmed that any European troops sent to Ukraine after a ceasefire would be unacceptable and would restart the war. He rejected any ongoing European troop presence, calling them a security threat. The U.S. and Ukraine want Europe to lead the negotiation team. Witkoff stated a new round of trilateral talks with Putin had already been agreed upon.

Prisoner Swap Agreement and New Talks Planned

An agreement was reached to swap a large number of prisoners, though the exact figure is to be announced. Zelenskyy called the proposed exchange a positive step but insisted Ukraine will not surrender Russian-occupied territory in return for peace. Plans for another round of talks were confirmed, with Europe set to join. Witkoff said, "the Europeans will join at the next meeting." The Kremlin has not confirmed the make-up of these talks.

The discussions occurred as leaders from more than 40 European countries gathered in Dublin for a summit of the European Political Community, a forum established in 2022. Top EU diplomat Kaja Kallas said the presence of a European official at the next meeting shows the Kremlin realizes Europe is a major player due to its support for Ukraine.

Frontline Fighting Continues Amid Drone Warfare

Combat persists along a 1,200-kilometer front line. Russia's drone and missile strikes continue to disrupt Ukraine's energy infrastructure. Overnight, Russian air defenses downed 71 Ukrainian drones, and strikes hit a drone-manufacturing plant in Kyiv and three other facilities.

Ukraine is also facing systematic restrictions to the military-grade Starlink service, Starshield. A similar slowdown affected the front line in late October for about a week. The current restrictions limit drone speeds to 161 kph, hindering Ukraine's ability to intercept Russian drones. Elon Musk acknowledged SpaceX throttled the service, stating it could not be used for offensive strikes against Russia. Zelenskyy said the disruption is helping Russia kill more Ukrainians.

In diplomatic reactions, French minister delegate for European affairs Benjamin Haddad said the EU will approve more sanctions against Russia on Monday, targeting 150 additional entities and 50 banks. Putin suggested a five-day humanitarian truce for the evacuation of civilians from the contested city of Kostyantynivka in Donetsk. A Russian colonel was killed in a car bomb explosion in St. Petersburg. A new round of trilateral talks with Europe joining is scheduled.