WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump revealed he met with a Russian envoy at the White House on Thursday, hinting that an extensive pact concerning European security is currently under development.
The meeting occurred while the envoy was visiting for an event hosted by First Lady Melania Trump, though Trump noted he did not meet with visiting Ukrainian officials who were also in attendance.
Trump, who has long maintained he could rapidly broker an end to the war in Ukraine, recently criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for reluctance over territorial concessions. During the closing stages of the midterm campaign, Trump reached an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin to lift sanctions on Russian diesel exports.
Speaking to reporters, Trump confirmed his discussion with Putin envoy Kirill Dmitriev but withheld specifics. The encounter coincided with separate negotiations involving U.S. envoys, Ukrainian representatives, and European allies at NATO headquarters in Brussels.
“There’s going to be an agreement, it’s going to be a big agreement and it’s going to involve more than Ukraine,” Trump said, suggesting the framework might eventually encompass all of Europe.
Jared Kushner, a U.S. envoy in Brussels and Trump’s son-in-law, shared on social media that Thursday’s multilateral discussions were productive, centering on security guarantees for Ukraine and a comprehensive security framework for the continent.
The United States is scheduled to host upcoming three-way talks in Abu Dhabi next week between Ukraine and Russia, marking the first trilateral peace discussions since February.
“Estamos trabajando intensamente con todas las partes para encontrar soluciones prácticas que puedan poner fin a esta guerra y sentar las bases para una paz duradera,” Kushner wrote. (“We are working intensively with all parties to find practical solutions that can bring this war to an end and establish the foundations for lasting peace.”)