Zelensky speaks with US envoys ahead of trilateral talks
The 90-minute call with Witkoff and Kushner tells me the administration is treating these talks as a real priority, not a photo opportunity. Kushner's presence is the part I keep coming back to. He has no formal diplomatic portfolio, yet here he is on a call with a wartime president. That speaks to how this White House likes to operate, with family and trusted insiders working alongside official envoys.
The trilateral format is worth watching. Ukraine, the U.S. and Russia around one table, without European leaders in the room, would be a significant shift in how this war has been negotiated so far. I'd want to know whether Kyiv feels it has leverage going in, and what Moscow is actually prepared to offer beyond the usual talking points.
The Nov. 10-11 dates are close, so we should learn quickly whether this is substantive or just positioning. I'll be watching for any public statements from Zelensky afterward about what was discussed. That will tell us more than the fact of the call itself.