Key Takeaways:
- Jared Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, has taken on a more active role in the latest peace push between Ukraine and Russia.
- Ukrainian officials are cautiously optimistic about Kushner’s involvement, seeing him as a potential counterbalance to U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, who is perceived as sympathetic to Russia.
- Kushner’s experience in diplomacy, particularly in the Middle East, is viewed as a positive factor in the negotiations.
- The outcome of Kushner’s involvement is uncertain, but his direct access to Trump is seen as a crucial advantage in the negotiations.
- The situation is complex, with multiple players and interests involved, and the success of the peace push is far from guaranteed.
Introduction to Jared Kushner
Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump, has emerged as a key player in the latest peace push between Ukraine and Russia. As a senior advisor in the first Trump administration, Kushner oversaw various areas, including Middle East peace negotiations and criminal justice reform. His experience in diplomacy, particularly in the Middle East, has been viewed as a positive factor in the negotiations. Kushner’s involvement in Ukraine and Russia dates back to the early days of the Trump administration, when he met with Russian officials, including Sergey Gorkov, the head of Russia’s state investment bank Vnesheconombank.
Kushner’s Role in Ukraine Diplomacy
Kushner joined the Ukraine peace track in late autumn, meeting with Ukrainian officials and traveling to Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He has been briefed by European officials on the talks with Putin and has claimed that most elements of the deal are agreed, with the main unresolved issue being Moscow’s demand that Ukraine cede territory. Kushner’s involvement is seen as a potential counterbalance to U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, who is perceived as sympathetic to Russia. Ukrainian officials, such as Oleksandr Merezhko, the chair of Ukraine’s parliamentary foreign affairs committee, view Kushner’s involvement positively, citing his experience in diplomacy and his ability to oversee Witkoff.
Kushner’s Background and Experience
Kushner’s experience in diplomacy is not limited to the Middle East. He has also been involved in negotiations with Ukraine and Russia, although his role has been largely informal. In 2020, he architected the Abraham Accords, a landmark diplomatic breakthrough that normalized relations between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain. After Trump left office in 2021, Kushner stepped back from politics and founded the investment fund Affinity Partners. However, he returned to diplomacy in 2025, playing an informal but central role in Trump’s push to negotiate a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
Reactions to Kushner’s Involvement
The reaction to Kushner’s involvement in the Ukraine peace push has been mixed. Some, such as Merezhko, view his involvement positively, citing his experience in diplomacy and his ability to oversee Witkoff. Others, such as Doug Klain, a nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center, are more cautious, noting that it is too early to judge whether Kushner will benefit Ukraine. Klain added that Kushner’s sudden entrance could be a signal that Trump knows the process centralized by Witkoff is not producing real results.
The Way Forward
The outcome of Kushner’s involvement in the Ukraine peace push is uncertain. The situation is complex, with multiple players and interests involved, and the success of the peace push is far from guaranteed. However, Kushner’s direct access to Trump is seen as a crucial advantage in the negotiations. As the situation continues to evolve, it remains to be seen whether Kushner’s involvement will lead to a breakthrough in the negotiations or whether the peace push will ultimately fail. One thing is certain, however: the involvement of Jared Kushner has added a new layer of complexity to the already intricate web of diplomacy surrounding the Ukraine-Russia conflict.
