Trump says Russia and Ukraine want a deal as US-led Brussels talks advance

Talks in Brussels

On Thursday, 5 November, US envoy Jared Kushner said American officials held "productive and substantive" talks in Brussels with Ukraine, NATO and European partners. The discussions covered security guarantees for Kyiv and a wider European security architecture. Kushner said the aim was to address the security concerns of all sides through practical arrangements agreed jointly, which would reduce the risk of another conflict.

On Friday, 6 November, Ukrainian negotiating team member Dawyd Arachamija said the new approach of the American negotiators moves away from the Donbas issue, which he called "unsolvable". Instead, it looks at a broader post-war security architecture in Europe, which he said is meant to encourage Russia to make concessions.

Trump's claims of progress

Speaking to reporters after landing in Palm Beach, where he was spending the weekend, Trump said Russia and Ukraine appear for the first time to want a deal. He said he had held phone calls and planned further talks the next day. He described a possible agreement as very large, potentially covering all of Europe, and said significant progress had been made on Friday.

The sources give no details on the terms of any deal, and none has been announced.

Poland's order of steps

Poland's Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski, speaking after a meeting with Ukraine's foreign minister and the EU's top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, said he supports all initiatives aimed at ending the war. He insisted, however, that the sequence must be respected, starting with a ceasefire.

“First there is to be a ceasefire, then talks on lasting peace, and only then possibly talks on how to restore the European security architecture and perhaps arms control regimes.”

Sikorski's position puts a ceasefire ahead of any lasting settlement and leaves the security architecture and arms control for later discussion.