Zelensky arrives in Dublin for European Political Community summit, expects a debrief from Witkoff, Kushner

Detailed summary

President Volodymyr Zelensky added that a meeting with U.S. special envoys — Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner — will also take place in Ireland, following the envoys' trip to Russia.

President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Dublin ahead of the European Political Community summit on Nov. 12.

"Bilateral and multilateral meetings with partners are scheduled for today and tomorrow," Zelensky said.

The president added that a meeting with U.S. special envoys — Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner — will also take place in Ireland.

Following the two-day-long peace talks between Ukraine, Russia, and the U.S., Witkoff and Kushner announced they would travel to Moscow the next day to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"We see some openings and some opportunities," Kushner told the press, adding that they would then travel to Dublin to debrief Zelensky following the European Political Community Summit.

Washington-led peace efforts have been effectively in a deadlock, as the issue of territory remains a key sticking point. Moscow's demands have focused on Ukraine's withdrawal from Donbas, a partially occupied and strategically important region in eastern Ukraine.

The Kremlin has also demanded a ban on Ukraine's NATO membership, limits on its military, and the lifting of restrictions on the official use of the Russian language and on the Moscow-linked Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

Kyiv has rejected withdrawing from the territory it currently holds, formally recognizing Russian occupation, and restrictions on its armed forces, arguing that any settlement must prevent Russia from launching another invasion.

Instead, Ukraine has called for an unconditional ceasefire as the first step toward broader peace talks, a proposal that the Kremlin repeatedly dismissed.

Opening of the article, excerpted from The Kyiv Independent. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.