Zelensky arrives in Dublin to meet US envoys on Ukraine peace talks
The Ukrainian president held talks with Taoiseach Micheál Martin before Thursday's meeting with Kushner and Witkoff and the EU summit in Dublin.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky landed in Dublin on Wednesday ahead of a meeting with US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, due on Thursday after the pair finish talks with a Russian delegation in Moscow.
Zelensky held a bilateral meeting with Taoiseach Micheál Martin at Government Buildings on Wednesday evening, ahead of Thursday's European Political Community summit in Dublin's Convention Centre, which more than 50 European leaders are expected to attend.
Kushner and Witkoff concluded a second day of US-brokered talks with Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday. Kushner said the talks had been "positive" and that the sides had agreed on what he called the biggest humanitarian release of prisoners of war, with numbers to be finalised in Dublin on Thursday. Zelensky said between 1,000 and 1,200 prisoners could be exchanged.
Zelensky told reporters in Dublin that discussions this week would also cover security guarantees and which European officials would represent the continent in future talks, saying it would be unjust for Europe to be left out of decisions on ending the war. On the region, he said Ukraine could not discuss abandoning it.
Martin said Ireland would not take part in Thursday's meeting between Zelensky and the US envoys but would provide logistical support. He said Russia's attacks on Ukraine were "barbarous" and that Ukraine's future lay in the European Union.
More than 50 world leaders are due in Dublin for the summit, including French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Dublin Live reported. Irish police mounted the country's largest security operation, deploying more than 5,000 officers and over 200 motorcycle escorts for arriving leaders.
Vladimir Medinsky, who led the Russian delegation in Abu Dhabi, and Rustem Umerov, who led Ukraine's delegation, both confirmed the planned prisoner exchange, according to TheJournal.ie. Martin and Zelensky also said Ireland and Ukraine were discussing a memorandum on drone technology and manufacturing.
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What we know
- Zelensky landed in Dublin on Wednesday ahead of Thursday's meeting with US envoys Kushner and Witkoff.
- He held a bilateral meeting with Taoiseach Micheál Martin ahead of the European Political Community summit.
- Kushner and Witkoff said the Abu Dhabi talks produced an agreement on a large prisoner exchange, with numbers to be finalised in Dublin.
- More than 50 world leaders are due in Dublin for Thursday's summit under heavy security.
Not yet confirmed
- The exact number of prisoners to be exchanged, which Zelensky said could be between 1,000 and 1,200.
Why it matters for Europe
Thursday's summit is expected to focus on continued support for Ukraine and its bid to join the European Union during Ireland's six-month EU presidency. Zelensky said he hoped the two remaining accession clusters for Ukrainian membership could be opened before the end of the year.
Sources
Reported by 6 reports from 6 independent outlets in 4 countries.
- TheJournal.ie: Trump’s envoys Kushner and Witkoff set to meet Zelenskyy in Dublin
- Irish Mirror: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy lands in Dublin set to meet US envoys here to discuss peace talks
- Știrile ProTV: Alertă maximă la Dublin înainte de summitul liderilor europeni. Mii de polițiști mobilizați după valul de amenințări cu bombă
- Dublin Live: Volodymyr Zelenskyy lands in Dublin set to meet US envoys and discuss peace talks
- Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung: Liveblog Ukrainekrieg: Selenskyj sieht „Zeitfrenster“ für Durchbruch bei Friedensgesprächen
Source balance
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Intelligence file
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Confidence and impact scores, 1 more sources, the full situation report and the event timeline.
Questions and answers
- Why is Zelensky in Dublin?
- He is meeting Taoiseach Micheál Martin and is due to meet US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff on Thursday to discuss the peace process, after their talks with Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Abu Dhabi.
- What was agreed in Abu Dhabi?
- Kushner said the talks produced an agreement on a large prisoner exchange, which Zelensky said could involve between 1,000 and 1,200 prisoners.
- What else is happening in Dublin this week?
- More than 50 world leaders are attending Thursday's European Political Community summit, under the largest security operation in the Irish state's history.
This article was written with AI assistance from 6 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.