Russia would be open to European countries taking part in Ukraine peace talks if it saw that they were ready to contribute to the process, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday, according to The Irish Times.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with US special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff at Casement Aerodrome in Baldonnel, following trilateral negotiations in the UAE and a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, The Irish Examiner reported. Zelenskyy announced that Russia had accepted plans for a major prisoner-of-war exchange, as reported by The Journal.
The diplomatic developments occurred while nearly 50 world leaders gathered in Dublin for the European Political Community summit. The ongoing conflict in Ukraine dominated the summit discussions at the Convention Centre.
As in every #EPC summit, Ukraine was at the heart of today’s discussions in Dublin. Since the start of the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine, it has been clear that Europe’s security and peace in Ukraine are inseparable. https://t.co/8KixeuoihM
Representatives from international institutions, including European Council President António Costa and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, also participated in high-level talks, alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
The US envoys flew to Ireland following intensive discussions in Moscow and previous trilateral meetings in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
At #EUCO, we are now discussing Ukraine and the ongoing efforts to negotiate a peace agreement. Our position is clear: Europe's security and Ukraine's security are inseparable. And our goal remains the same: a just and lasting peace for Ukraine. Europe will speak with a clear… pic.twitter.com/ogN6YEjpgl
“It came at very short notice, we weren't aware of it,” Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly said.
It will be the biggest, Steve and Jared told me, the biggest exchange of war prisoners yet.
Zelensky
Zelenskyy added that he was thankful to all negotiators for achieving a real result for families, according to RTÉ. Meanwhile, Rustem Umerov attended the Baldonnel discussions alongside the president.
.@SEPeaceMissions, @jaredkushner, and I met in Ireland following all the negotiations held this week. First, a humanitarian outcome – prisoners will be released, and we are counting on the largest prisoner exchange since the start of this war. The second outcome – we are… pic.twitter.com/C7VvLrCnNR
Zelenskyy said that European representatives would join the next round of negotiations directly, ensuring they have a voice in the process, as detailed by The Kyiv Independent. The potential involvement of European partners follows friction over continental security frameworks. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas emphasized that the European Union already maintains its own established security architecture, pointing to historical agreements like the Helsinki Accords and the Budapest Memorandum.
We’ve also been working very, very closely over the past several months with Europeans, and I think that that’s been very important. We cannot conclude this deal without Europeans being at the table.
Jared Kushner, US special envoy for peace
Concurrently, Kremlin spokesman Peskov said that Moscow would make a final determination on European inclusion once authorities verify genuine intentions and concrete readiness to contribute to the peace process.
Coalition members supporting Ukraine plan to hold a follow-up summit in Berlin to coordinate further regional security strategies.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told reporters that what matters is preparing Putin to hold talks, welcoming Moscow’s growing willingness to acknowledge that Europe cannot be discussed without Europe.
In Dublin, I met with the national security advisors of the E4 countries – the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Italy – as well as those of the European Commission and the European Council. I thanked them for their engagement in communication with the American side, their… pic.twitter.com/Dh6OUHshbh
Earlier coverage: Russia Demands Donbas, ‘New Security System’ in Abu Dhabi Talks