President Donald Trump tapped his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to join U.S. peace talks with Ukrainian officials in Geneva, widening a high-profile delegation as the White House races to broker an end to Russia's war.
Kushner Joins Rubio-Led Team Pushing Ceasefire Plan
As noted in a White House release, Kushner met on Sunday with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, special envoy Steve Witkoff and other U.S. officials, including Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and Ambassador Julie Davis, as negotiators pressed a U.S.-backed framework for a ceasefire.
According to a separate report by the Associated Press, Rubio called the session “worthwhile” and a productive one "in a long time” and said the proposal is a "living, breathing document" still being revised with Kyiv.
Leaked Draft Sparks Backlash, Kremlin Contacts Questioned
Trump has leaned on Kushner for diplomacy before, especially in Middle East talks during his first term and in the Gaza ceasefire effort earlier this year. Bringing him into the Ukraine negotiations comes amid uproar over a leaked 28-point draft that U.S. lawmakers and European allies criticized as overly favorable to Moscow.
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Rubio has given mixed accounts of the draft's authorship, but he says Washington and Kyiv are rewriting it to ensure any deal upholds Ukraine's sovereignty.
Reuters reported that Kushner and Witkoff met in Miami in late October with Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev, a sanctioned official, to sketch the initial proposal, raising concerns about pro-Russia concessions and bypassing normal review channels. Kyiv has rejected any settlement requiring territorial surrender or a permanent bar on NATO membership.
U.S., Europe Aid Billions as Kyiv Seeks Guarantees
The talks unfold against a backdrop of Western investment. The United States has committed about $175 billion in military, budget and humanitarian support since Russia's 2022 invasion, as of March 2025, while European governments have allocated about 132 billion euros, according to Reuters and the Kiel Institute tracker.
Rubio said he will brief Trump and then consult Russian officials, adding that remaining issues "are not insurmountable." Ukrainian aides led by presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak said they welcomed U.S. engagement but still need binding security guarantees.
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