The President of Ukraine, Volodimir Zelenski, has announced that the trilateral dialogue format with Russia and the United States has been reactivated following his meeting with the special envoys of the White House, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. The Ukrainian leader highlighted the understanding reached to carry out "the largest exchange of prisoners of war" since the start of the invasion, as well as the direct incorporation of European partners into the discussion table in the next round.
In a joint appearance before the press after the diplomatic round held in Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates) and after the trip by the American emissaries to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Zelenski assessed in Dublin—after attending the Summit of the European Political Community—that "the negotiating format has been unlocked." This step opens the door to new meetings aimed at establishing a roadmap for de-escalation and exploring possible ceasefires.
"First of all, our trilateral meeting was unlocked, and it is very important because it gives hope that we will end this war," the Ukrainian head of state emphasized.
Donald Trump’s son-in-law and adviser in these talks, Jared Kushner, highlighted the agreement for the repatriation of "thousands" of captured service members. Although Kyiv continues to argue for an exchange of "all for all," Zelenski has defined the deal as a "real success" for the families of the captives and as a concrete step toward peace.
The head of the Ukrainian state also stressed as a significant achievement that all the parties have given the green light for Europe to participate actively in the negotiating team at the next meeting, and not in a separate channel. "It is important because the war is in Europe. We will be members of the European Union in the future, and security guarantees in Europe are essential for prosperity," he said.
US highlights Putin’s openness to add Europe
Kushner explained that both he and Witkoff held a "very detailed and productive" meeting in Moscow with Putin after the sessions in the United Arab Emirates, where the final details of the prisoner exchange were closed.
As he has reported, the United States delegation conveyed to the Kremlin that "it is very important not to close this agreement without the Europeans being at the table," and has assured that Putin "is willing to try" to reduce tensions and address pending issues with greater calm.
The envoy added that Washington is working closely with Zelenski's team and with General Alexus Grynkewich on an economic program for the reconstruction of Ukraine and on the design of security guarantees in the postwar stage, with the aim of preventing the conflict from repeating itself in the region.
For his part, the special envoy Steve Witkoff has confirmed that the agreed exchange will involve "the largest release of hostages and prisoners" to date —although the parties have not yet revealed the location or the date of its implementation— and has emphasized that both envoys have traveled in person to inform Zelenski, following the directives of President Trump to speed up efforts to end the war.