Context:

The narrative centers on ongoing U.S.-led efforts to broker a Russia-Ukraine peace, with Kushner and Steve Witkoff traveling to Moscow to meet Putin after coordinating with Ukrainian negotiators in Florida on a 28-point plan. The diplomacy is played against internal U.S. dynamics, including Trump’s involvement and a cancellation of a Pakistan trip for Iran negotiations, which complicates regional talks. European skepticism grows about Putin’s willingness to concede and about the ability of U.S. mediators to deliver, as NATO and regional leaders weigh the risks of a broader conflict and new security guarantees for Ukraine. The piece also notes U.S. participation in Ukraine-EU talks in Paris amid Trump-era threats over Greenland, highlighting a volatile, multi-front diplomatic landscape with uncertain outcomes and an emphasis on sovereignty and security guarantees for Ukraine. Looking ahead, the effort hinges on how negotiations unfold between Moscow, Washington, and European partners, with key events expected to shape the trajectory of the peace process and regional stability.

Dive Deeper:

• Kushner and Witkoff headed to Moscow to meet with Vladimir Putin after a lengthy Florida meeting with Ukrainian delegates to discuss a potential peace plan centered on a Trump-proposed 28-point framework and to push for a negotiated end to the war.

• The delegation also included a high-level session with Ukraine’s leadership; Zelenskyy publicly affirmed U.S. support and the intensive investment of time to define steps toward ending the conflict, while Andriy Yermak’s absence signaled internal tensions amid corruption allegations.

• Trump publicly commented on Ukraine’s exit prospects, downplaying the process and suggesting decisive leverage, while U.S. officials previously anticipated a broader diplomatic push that included Pakistan and Iran, later canceled by Trump.

• U.S. officials joined Ukraine-EU talks in Paris on security guarantees for Ukraine as Trump’s Greenland threat added strategic complexity, with Kushner and Witkoff representing the United States alongside European leaders.

• European officials expressed growing doubt about Putin’s willingness to concede territory or scale Ukraine’s military, and questioned Witkoff’s brokered peace capabilities, citing a risk of a wider conflict and potential U.S. disengagement.

• Danish and NATO leaders publicly defended Greenland’s sovereignty as a matter for Denmark and Greenland, while U.S. messaging linked security guarantees for Ukraine to broader regional stability amid evolving diplomacy.