Jared Kushner Says President Trump Is Determined to End Ukraine War as Major Peace Talks Begin in Abu Dhabi

President Trump’s special envoy Jared Kushner says the administration is determined to bring an end to the nearly five-year war between Russia and Ukraine, as American diplomats prepare for a major round of peace negotiations in the United Arab Emirates. The renewed diplomatic push comes as Trump expresses confidence that a settlement is approaching, suggesting that Ukraine’s borders could ultimately look different under a negotiated agreement.

Kushner outlined the administration’s objectives Monday ahead of two days of discussions scheduled for November 10 and 11 in Abu Dhabi. The meetings are expected to bring together representatives from the United States, Ukraine, and Russia, with European governments also seeking a role in shaping the eventual peace agreement.

The president’s son-in-law, who has taken on a prominent diplomatic role in the administration, emphasized that Washington is working toward a settlement that ends the fighting while establishing long-term security arrangements. He indicated that the administration wants more than a temporary pause in hostilities that could collapse and lead to another major confrontation.

Kushner said American negotiators have been holding separate discussions with both sides to identify potential areas of agreement. The next objective is to bring Russian and Ukrainian representatives together to address their competing security concerns and determine whether a lasting settlement is possible.

The administration has identified four major priorities in the negotiations: ending military operations, establishing credible security guarantees, developing an economic recovery plan for Ukraine, and addressing the humanitarian consequences of the war.

Those objectives reflect the enormous challenges involved in ending a conflict that began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Years of fighting have devastated Ukrainian communities, damaged critical infrastructure, and displaced millions of people.

Kushner stressed that any successful agreement must provide both sides with assurances that the fighting will not simply resume after a temporary ceasefire. Without reliable security arrangements, negotiators fear that neither government will be willing to make the concessions necessary to end the conflict.

President Trump expressed optimism about the peace effort during an interview with CBS’s “60 Minutes” that aired Sunday. The president predicted that the conflict would end soon and argued that his personal involvement was essential to bringing the two countries toward an agreement.

Trump also suggested that Ukraine could emerge from the negotiations with different territorial boundaries. His comments appeared to acknowledge that resolving disputes over Russian-occupied territory may require difficult decisions by the governments involved.

The president did not identify which territorial changes he expects or describe the specific concessions under consideration. Nevertheless, his remarks highlighted the central obstacle that has repeatedly prevented negotiators from reaching a comprehensive agreement.

Russia has demanded control over the entirety of Ukraine’s Donetsk region, including territory that Russian forces have not captured. Moscow has also insisted on broader security arrangements intended to prevent Ukraine from joining NATO and restrict its military capabilities.

Ukraine has resisted demands to permanently surrender territory, maintaining that its sovereignty and territorial integrity must be respected. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has previously indicated that a ceasefire along the existing front line could provide a starting point for negotiations, provided Kyiv receives meaningful security guarantees.

American officials have suggested that both governments have demonstrated some flexibility in private discussions. However, the competing territorial demands remain unresolved, and neither side has publicly accepted a comprehensive settlement.

The administration hopes that progress on security guarantees could make the territorial negotiations more manageable. Establishing credible arrangements to prevent renewed hostilities is expected to be one of the central subjects discussed in Abu Dhabi.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sunday that negotiators had made progress in considering what Ukraine’s postwar security structure might look like. He also emphasized that the broader European security environment must be addressed as part of any lasting agreement.

European governments have expressed a strong interest in participating because the outcome could affect the continent’s military and political stability for decades. France and the European Union have indicated that they intend to be represented during the diplomatic meetings.

The United States has also emphasized that Russia and European governments will eventually need to discuss security arrangements directly. Kushner believes a durable settlement cannot be achieved without addressing the concerns of countries that would be responsible for helping maintain peace.

Special envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to join Kushner in the American delegation. Both officials have participated in diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving international conflicts during President Trump’s second administration.

The upcoming meetings represent a renewed effort to resolve the Ukraine conflict after months in which American attention was heavily focused on military operations and negotiations involving Iran. The administration now hopes to accelerate progress toward an agreement that has remained elusive despite repeated diplomatic initiatives.

Recent military activity has complicated those efforts. Russian attacks against Ukrainian energy infrastructure have disrupted electricity supplies and damaged facilities serving civilian communities.

In Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region, strikes against the electrical grid left hundreds of thousands of residents without power. Emergency crews have worked to restore service while continued attacks have made repairs increasingly difficult.

Ukraine has also carried out strikes against Russian energy facilities, including infrastructure associated with fuel production and distribution. The exchanges demonstrate how fragile the current diplomatic environment remains, even as negotiators prepare to discuss a possible settlement.

President Trump’s recent decision to ease certain restrictions affecting Russian diesel exports has introduced another point of controversy. The administration has defended the move as an effort to stabilize global energy supplies rather than provide Moscow with an economic advantage.

During his television interview, Trump rejected suggestions that the decision amounted to a major concession to Russia. He maintained that allowing additional fuel supplies onto international markets was intended to address global demand.

The president also defended his administration’s approach to military assistance for Ukraine. Rather than continuing the previous administration’s model of providing large quantities of American weapons directly, Trump has emphasized arrangements in which European governments purchase American military equipment for Ukrainian forces.

Trump argued that the United States should not continue assuming the financial burden of the conflict without sufficient contributions from European allies. He also acknowledged the effectiveness of American weapons and the determination of Ukrainian forces using them.

Despite his confidence in the peace process, Trump acknowledged that the relationship between Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin remains a major obstacle. He described the hostility between the two leaders as one of the principal reasons an agreement has proven so difficult.

The president declined to say whether he trusted Putin or Zelenskyy more, emphasizing instead that he maintains relationships with both leaders. Trump believes those connections could help him secure an agreement that neither side has been able to reach through previous negotiations.

First Lady Melania Trump has also participated in humanitarian efforts connected to the conflict. She recently helped support arrangements for a temporary ceasefire in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky, allowing hundreds of civilians to evacuate from dangerous conditions.

Her involvement reflects the administration’s broader emphasis on humanitarian measures alongside military and diplomatic negotiations. American officials hope that agreements involving civilian evacuations, prisoner exchanges, and other humanitarian concerns could help build confidence between the opposing sides.

Kushner has also identified Ukraine’s eventual economic reconstruction as a central component of the administration’s peace strategy. Years of destruction have left enormous rebuilding needs, and any settlement would require substantial investment to restore infrastructure, housing, and commercial activity.

American negotiators believe that a comprehensive economic recovery plan could help provide Ukraine with a more stable future while giving European governments a framework for supporting reconstruction. The administration has emphasized that economic prosperity and security guarantees must reinforce one another.

Nevertheless, the most difficult questions remain unanswered. Russia and Ukraine have yet to agree on territorial boundaries, military restrictions, or the international commitments that would be necessary to enforce a lasting peace.

The Abu Dhabi meetings are therefore expected to focus on identifying areas of agreement rather than producing an immediate final settlement. Officials hope the discussions will establish a foundation for additional negotiations involving Russia, Ukraine, the United States, and European partners.

For President Trump, ending the war remains a major foreign policy objective. He has repeatedly argued that the conflict would not have begun had he been president in 2022 and has made negotiating an end to the fighting a central priority of his administration.

Kushner’s latest comments reinforce that commitment as American diplomats prepare for another critical round of negotiations. While major disagreements remain, the administration believes direct engagement and credible security arrangements offer the strongest opportunity to bring the prolonged conflict to an end.

The outcome of the Abu Dhabi discussions could determine whether the peace process moves toward a comprehensive agreement or remains stalled over territorial and security disputes. Trump remains confident that a deal is possible, while Kushner and other American officials continue working to turn that optimism into a negotiated settlement.