Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky with Ireland’s Taoiseach Micheál Martin in Dublin, November 11, 2026
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UPDATE 0606:
Three civilians were murdered and 11 injured by Russian attacks on a market in Odesa in southern Ukraine on Wednesday.
Explosions were heard in Kyiv early Thursday.
ORIGINAL ENTRY: Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has written of a possibility to end Russia’s 56 1/2-month full-scale invasion as Donald Trump’s envoys visit Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Thursday.
Real estate developed Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner flew to the Russian capital after two days of Ukraine-Russia discussions in Abu Dhabi. After seeing Putin, they will meet Zelensky in Dublin, on the sidelines of a European summit, on Friday.
Zelensky posted, “Today there really is this opportunity, this window of opportunity, when all those participants who are now engaged in the negotiation process, genuinely want to achieve a result before 2027.”
He emphasized the importance of Witkoff and Kushner presenting Putin with a firm proposal for a ceasefire and security guarantee for Ukraine: “What’s important is that the Americans flew to Putin with specifics. I would very much like them to return to Dublin with specifics.”
Ukraine and Russia agreed on the largest prisoner exchange of the invasion. The Kremlin did not move publicly from their maximum demands for Kyiv’s surrender of territory and limits on security for the rest of the country. However, a senior member of Ukraine’s delegation said that, after the Russians arrived with “very strict directives”, but there was “big progress” on security guarantees: “I think we have good momentum to bring about a solution before the New Year”.
Speaking in Dublin on Wednesday, Zelensky said Ukraine hoped for concrete results this year but that much depended on how Trump’s envoys approached the Kremlin.
We are living through these massive attacks. Of course, we want to get results by the end of this year, and of course we will be doing everything to make that happen. A lot will depend today on the format of the dialogue of the American and Russian sides tomorrow.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte echoed, “Clearly we have to see that the Russian side is willing to play ball.” He said the Abu Dhabi talks had shown that Ukraine, Europe, and the US were “completely aligned and united”.
Russia’s lead negotiator Vladimir Medinsky struck a different tone. When asked if an end to Moscow’s invasion was closer, he said, “I think so.” However, he declared that the Kremlin’s maximalist demands remained: “Much depends on Ukraine, the position of the United States, and whether Europe comes to its senses. In any case, all the goals we set will be achieved.”
Kushner was cautious in his remarks while hailing “a good first step”. He did not give specifics about a ceasefire or security guarantee. Instead, he focused on a meeting between Zelensky and Vladimir Putin: “The Russians have said they would like to see more progress made before it happens….
He continued, “Clearly, there’s not great trust or love between the leaders, so I think that if we can find a pathway to arrange…I will say this…these deals do take time.”
He said Europe must be at the table for any talks on Ukraine and post-invasion security as “it’s a discussion where they have to be involved”.
