Jared Kushner, the White House special envoy leading the United States' push for a settlement in Ukraine, has set out five goals for a broader European security framework — a plan Washington says would run alongside security guarantees for Ukraine and shape the continent's security long after the war ends.
Kushner outlined the objectives on Thursday, 5 November, in a post on X, after days of talks in Brussels involving Ukraine, NATO, the European Union and other European partners. The announcement comes days before US-mediated talks between Russia and Ukraine in Abu Dhabi on 10 and 11 November — the first trilateral meeting since February.
"Our objective is to develop practical arrangements that address the security concerns of all sides, reduce the risk of future conflict, and create a more stable and predictable security environment," Kushner wrote, according to the Kyiv Post.
The five goals
Kushner said negotiators were exploring five principal objectives for the framework:
| Goal | What it would mean |
|---|---|
| Permanent security consultations | Standing channels for governments to raise security concerns before they escalate |
| Reliable crisis communications | Dependable lines between capitals during a crisis, to prevent miscalculation |
| Greater military transparency | More openness about military activity, exercises and deployments |
| Reciprocal measures to reduce escalation risks | Mutually agreed steps, taken by both sides, to lower the chance of conflict |
| An enduring framework for long-term security and stability | A lasting structure for European security, rather than a one-off deal |
Kushner said the work in Brussels this week had been "productive and substantive", and that President Donald Trump had discussed the need for a new security architecture with several European leaders. He did not name the leaders, publish a draft text, or set out a timetable, according to reports of his announcement.
No veto over sovereign choices
The most pointed line in Kushner's statement concerned sovereignty. Any future arrangement, he wrote, must fully respect "the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independent decision-making of every nation".
"Each country will retain authority over its own security and alliances, and no country would have a veto over another's sovereign choices."
That matters most to Kyiv. Moscow has long opposed Ukraine's ambitions to join NATO and has demanded limits on Ukraine's future security arrangements — demands Ukraine has rejected. President Volodymyr Zelensky has said Ukraine's security guarantees "cannot be dictated by the Russian side", and that limits on his army and Ukraine's neutrality are not up for discussion, according to the Kyiv Independent.
Kushner also stressed that NATO would "remain central to European collective defence" and that the proposed framework would build on existing institutions and commitments rather than replace them.
Why a broader framework? Kushner said Europe and Russia had struggled for more than three decades to establish sustainable security arrangements, and that Russia's war against Ukraine had made the challenge harder. Washington's argument is that a deal to end the war in Ukraine needs a wider security architecture around it — otherwise, in the US view, the next crisis is only a matter of time.
The road to Abu Dhabi
The framework is being presented alongside security guarantees for Ukraine, and the two tracks are now converging on next week's talks. The sequence so far:
| Date | Development |
|---|---|
| January–February 2026 | Earlier rounds of US-mediated talks held in Abu Dhabi and Geneva |
| February 2026 | Diplomatic effort suspended as war with Iran began, according to Axios |
| 2 November | US envoy Steve Witkoff announces working-level trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi |
| 4–5 November | US, Ukraine, NATO and European partners meet in Brussels on guarantees, reconstruction and post-war security |
| 5 November | Zelensky holds a 90-minute call with Kushner and Witkoff; Trump meets Putin envoy Kirill Dmitriev privately at the White House |
| 5 November | Kushner publishes the five goals for a European security framework |
| 10–11 November | Trilateral talks scheduled in Abu Dhabi — the first since February |
| 19 November | European leaders meet in Berlin to agree how much they will help Ukraine in 2027 |
Kushner said consultations would continue through what officials call the Shell Bay format, bringing in Ukraine, NATO, the EU and European partners, while Russia would be engaged "as part of the peace negotiations". Russia's team in Abu Dhabi will be led by Vladimir Medinsky, a presidential aide, according to Russian state media. Kushner and Witkoff are expected to lead the American delegation. Neither Washington nor Moscow has said what concrete steps it expects from the meeting.
What Kyiv wants
Ukraine has submitted its proposals to Washington and is pressing for guarantees that are binding and enforceable. In Wednesday's 90-minute call with the US envoys, Zelensky pressed for additional Patriot missile interceptors as Russia continues striking Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure, the Kyiv Post reported.
Kyiv has called for a ceasefire along the current front line, while the strategically important regions of eastern Ukraine remain central to the negotiations. Zelensky has said he hopes the new round will eventually pave the way to a face-to-face meeting with President Vladimir Putin, who has rejected earlier calls for one.
European caution
The reception in Europe has been wary. Two senior European diplomats in Washington told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty that European leaders do not believe Russia is ready to make genuine concessions on Ukraine or on European security.
Analysts quoted by RFE/RL warned that deep divisions over a ceasefire and over security guarantees make a major breakthrough unlikely, and argued that European countries should take part directly in Abu Dhabi rather than be consulted separately.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told a meeting of G20 foreign ministers that he was unsure a negotiated settlement was possible, according to the Kyiv Independent. The Kremlin had not publicly answered Kushner's post in reports available on 6 November.
What is not agreed yet: there is no published text, no timetable and no agreement — only five goals under discussion. The framework's hardest question is unresolved: how to accommodate Russia's demands while upholding Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity and right to choose its own alliances. European leaders will be consulted "on the sidelines" of the Abu Dhabi talks, with direct participation only if progress is made.
"Creating the right structure will be critical to ending this war and transitioning from conflict toward conditions that make possible a durable peace."
Frequently asked questions
What is the five-point plan?
A set of goals — not yet a treaty or text — for a broader European security framework: permanent security consultations, reliable crisis communications, greater military transparency, reciprocal measures to reduce escalation risks, and a lasting framework for stability. It is meant to run alongside security guarantees for Ukraine.
Does it change Ukraine's NATO ambitions?
Not on its own. Kushner said no country would have a veto over another's sovereign choices, and that NATO would remain central to European collective defence. Ukraine's NATO membership remains opposed by Moscow and is one of the unresolved issues in the negotiations.
When do the talks happen?
US-mediated trilateral talks between Ukraine, Russia and the United States are scheduled for 10 and 11 November in Abu Dhabi — the first such meeting since February. European governments will be consulted separately.
What happens after Abu Dhabi?
European leaders meet in Berlin on 19 November to agree how much support they will give Ukraine in 2027. If the Abu Dhabi talks make progress, Washington has said the format could widen to include European governments directly.
Key takeaways
- Jared Kushner has set out five goals for a broader European security framework, to run alongside security guarantees for Ukraine.
- The plan promises no outside veto over any country's alliances and keeps NATO at the centre of European defence.
- US-mediated trilateral talks with Russia and Ukraine are scheduled for 10–11 November in Abu Dhabi, the first since February.
- Kyiv wants binding, enforceable guarantees and more Patriot interceptors; Moscow has not publicly responded to the framework.
- European diplomats are sceptical that Russia is ready to make genuine concessions, and there is no agreed text or timetable yet.
What to watch next: whether the Abu Dhabi talks produce anything concrete on 10–11 November, how Moscow responds to the no-veto principle, and what European leaders agree in Berlin on 19 November about support for Ukraine in 2027.
