Kushner Proposes Multilateral Europe-Russia Security Talks

US special presidential envoy Jared Kushner has proposed launching multilateral negotiations between European nations and Russia to design a post-war continental security architecture, modeling the initiative on the defunct NATO-Russia Council, The Washington Post reported. According to a senior official familiar with internal deliberations, Kushner seeks to transition diplomatic engagements into a broader multilateral framework with direct European participation if working-level trilateral talks between Ukraine, the US, and Russia achieve progress in Abu Dhabi on Nov. 10-11.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Writing in a statement on X, Kushner outlined five primary pillars for the proposed security architecture: permanent security consultations, reliable crisis communications channels, greater military transparency, reciprocal measures to reduce escalation risks, and an enduring framework for long-term European security and stability. However, European allied governments and Ukrainian leadership have emphasized that any discussions on continental security architecture must remain strictly conditional on first securing a verified ceasefire and an enforceable peace agreement in Ukraine. A security model for Europe and Russia Kushner’s proposal looks toward the operational template of the NATO-Russia Council, an institutional body established in 2002 to facilitate security coordination and dialogue between the Western alliance and Moscow. The council’s practical operations were suspended in 2014 following Russia’s illegal military invasion and annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula and its armed incursions into the Donbas region. Other Topics of Interest Zelensky Condemns Fatal Krakow Attack, Expresses Sympathy Zelensky has condemned the deadly Krakow Market Square shooting as a shocking crime, expressing solidarity with Poland and condolences to the victims’ families. Diplomatic sources cited by The Washington Post indicated that the proposed mechanism aims to re-engage Moscow across standing security consultations and structured military transparency. European capitals respond to the White House initiative European officials who spoke to The Washington Post affirmed their general openness to future dialogue with Moscow, but stressed that an armistice in Ukraine remains a mandatory prerequisite. “Both tracks are on,” messaged a knowledgeable official from a close US ally. However, the official cautioned: “A Ukraine peace agreement has to be settled before an agreement on security architecture.” A senior official from another key European country noted that while European leaders choose to engage rather than isolate themselves from the diplomatic initiative, European capitals maintain a unified red line regarding sequencing. “Many risks for us in this approach, but better to engage than not,” the senior European official explained. “Our approach is still that these issues can be discussed only after the war… Not gonna be easy talks.” The official added that despite willingness among prominent European heads of state to support Kushner’s diplomatic outreach, “broad unity in Europe” exists around the fundamental principle that an operational ceasefire in Ukraine must precede any Europe-Russia discussions. Ukraine’s stance on post-war security sequencing President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected the notion of prioritizing broader European security talks over an end to hostilities, warning that Moscow’s push to discuss continental structures first is dangerous. Speaking in an interview with CNN host Jake Tapper, Zelensky stated that diplomatic sequencing must place the cessation of the war and binding security guarantees for Ukraine before any multilateral framework involving Russia is evaluated. “The idea of discussing a European-Russian security infrastructure is not simple, and it can be dangerous,” Zelensky said. “I have been very clear with all partners: first, we must discuss how to end Russia’s war against Ukraine. Second, what the security infrastructure for Ukraine will look like. What security guarantees Ukraine will receive.” Zelensky warned that allowing Russia to participate in restructuring continental security while actively striking civilian population centers and energy grids risks repeating historical errors. The president recalled the 1945 Yalta Conference, emphasizing that Ukraine and Europe must avoid a “Yalta 2.0” where great powers negotiate spheres of influence over the heads of sovereign states. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 90% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.