Ukraine Peace Talks: Russia’s Demands and Europe’s Role

11/13/2026

Thank You for Standing With Ukraine https://ukrainesupport…

Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner returned from their meeting with Vladimir Putin amid reports that Europe could join the negotiations over Ukraine. Then Russia’s Maria Zakharova and Dmitry Medvedev said European participation had never even been discussed. These are two conflicting accounts of a closed-door meeting—and someone needs to explain the difference.

Meanwhile, reports of an expansive Russian negotiating wish list raise a far bigger question: Is Moscow trying to negotiate peace, or rewrite the security arrangements of Europe? The reported demands reach from Ukraine’s occupied territories and Black Sea ports to NATO’s position in the Baltics, Finland, and even Moldova. They are reported proposals, not confirmed agreements. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas cuts straight through the noise: without a ceasefire, debating Russia’s claimed security grievances risks walking into Moscow’s trap.

Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal argues that peace must come on Ukraine’s terms. And as possible meetings involving Trump, Putin, and Xi in China draw attention—with attendance still not fully confirmed at the time of recording—German Chancellor Friedrich Merz delivers a warning to Washington: no surprises, and no decisions about Ukraine or Europe without them.