President Zelenskyy met US envoys in Ireland to advance a major prisoner exchange and push for greater European involvement in peace negotiations, following their recent diplomatic discussions in Moscow regarding the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met US President Donald Trump’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Ireland following their talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, with discussions focusing on a major prisoner exchange, greater European participation in peace negotiations and further diplomatic engagements to end the Ukraine conflict.
Announcing the meeting in a post on X, Zelenskyy said the discussions had resulted in three key outcomes, including preparations for what could become the largest prisoner exchange since the beginning of the war. “First, a humanitarian outcome – prisoners will be released, and we are counting on the largest prisoner exchange since the start of this war,” Zelenskyy said. He also highlighted the need for European representatives to play a more active role in the diplomatic process, stressing that Ukraine wanted Europe to have an equal position at the negotiating table.
The meeting in Ireland followed discussions between Witkoff, Kushner and Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow, where the US envoys reviewed the latest developments in negotiations involving Russia, Ukraine and the United States.
Speaking to CNN at Vnukovo Airport before leaving Moscow, Witkoff expressed optimism over the discussions and confirmed that trilateral negotiations had resumed. “I think progress was made. I think it was made earlier today,” Witkoff told CNN. “People didn’t think that we were going to restart trilateral. We’ve restarted it. We’ve set a new meeting,” he added.
However, major differences remain over territorial arrangements and future security guarantees. During the Kremlin discussions, Putin reiterated Moscow’s opposition to the deployment of foreign troops on Ukrainian territory following a potential peace agreement.