U.S. facilitating direct engagement between Europe and Russia amid push for peace in Ukraine, Kushner says

November 14, 2026 / 5:07 PM EST / CBS/AP

The United States is facilitating direct engagement between Russia and Europe amid a push to secure a peace deal in the war in Ukraine, President Trump's special envoy and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, said on Saturday.

Kushner and Steve Witkoff held separate meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy this past week as the Trump administration pushes to end the more than 4 ½-year conflict. The meetings came after the first round of U.S.-brokered talks between the two countries since February concluded on Wednesday with an announcement of plans for a new prisoner exchange and further talks, but nothing to suggest a wider peace deal.

"Our focus is now on facilitating direct engagement between Moscow and European partners and preparing the agenda for the next round of trilateral talks," Kushner said in a social media post on Saturday. "Several new ideas emerged from these discussions and are now being explored. Some may lead to breakthroughs directly, while others may evolve into new proposals that help bridge the remaining gaps."

Zelenskyy, in statements released Saturday, said the U.S. had raised the possibility of a new security framework for Europe…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/world/