US elections open window for talks with Russia, Zelenskyy says
Photo: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Getty Images)
Political changes in the US following the midterm elections open a window of opportunity for talks with Russia. Ukraine wants Europe to participate in the negotiations on an equal footing and is urging its allies to choose their representative as early as November, Bloomberg reports.
Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner also spoke about preparations for a large-scale prisoner exchange. According to him, territorial issues remain the most difficult part of the negotiations, but the parties are discussing a substantial exchange.
Zelenskyy clarified that it could involve up to 1,200 prisoners.
The president said that political changes in the US and other countries open a window of opportunity for talks with Russia. The statement came a week after the US midterm elections, in which Democrats won a majority in Congress.
According to Zelenskyy, Washington is becoming increasingly supportive of Europe's participation in the negotiations.
"We want Europe to be not there on the margins, not on the sidelines of the meetings. We want them to participate on equal footing the next time because that’s absolutely just," he said.
Zelenskyy urged European allies to finally choose their representative for the negotiations.
"We need to choose who will represent Europe. We need to choose concrete leaders of Europe. We need to do it in November," the president stressed in Dublin.
So far, Europe has been unable to agree on who should speak on its behalf. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni warned in a letter to European Council President António Costa that the lack of coordination among Europeans plays into the hands of those who want the war to continue.
Zelenskyy believes that if all parties join the negotiations, progress could be made as early as the beginning of 2027.
Zelenskyy had previously spoken about the window of opportunity in his remarks to journalists. According to him, all participants in the peace process want to achieve a breakthrough in the negotiations before 2027, as Europe's political landscape could change next year.
Following the talks in Abu Dhabi, Trump's envoys are continuing their contacts with the parties. According to Putin's aide Yuri Ushakov, Witkoff and Kushner will meet with Putin on the morning of November 12, after which Zelenskyy will be waiting to meet them in Dublin.
