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NATO said Friday that Ukraine's allies were working toward a "just and sustainable" end to the war, following discussions in Brussels ahead of U.S.-mediated peace talks between Ukraine and Russia scheduled for next week in Abu Dhabi.
A NATO spokesperson said Thursday's talks involving officials from the alliance, the United States, Ukraine and European countries "built on productive discussions in Miami and Oslo and sought to advance a just and sustainable end to the war in Ukraine".
The statement came as Washington pursued diplomatic efforts to end the conflict while exploring broader security arrangements involving Russia and Europe.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that he expected a "very big" deal with Russia involving not only Ukraine but "all of Europe," raising questions about the potential implications for the continent's security framework.
Jared Kushner, Trump's envoy and son-in-law, said Washington was working on "a broader European security architecture that can help establish the conditions for lasting peace".
Kushner, who joined the Brussels discussions by video link, said Washington's "objective is to develop practical arrangements that address the security concerns of all sides".
"We are exploring five principal goals: permanent security consultations, reliable crisis communications, greater military transparency, reciprocal measures to reduce escalation risks, and an enduring framework for long-term European security and stability," he wrote online.
Kushner stressed that "any arrangements must fully respect the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independent decision-making of every nation" and said NATO would "remain central to European collective defence".
The proposals come amid longstanding disagreements between NATO and Russia over Europe's security arrangements.
Before launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Moscow demanded that NATO withdraw its troops from eastern Europe as part of a proposed overhaul of the continent's security architecture.
The alliance rejected those demands.
European countries have sought greater involvement in U.S.-led efforts to end the war, particularly as Washington considers security arrangements extending beyond Ukraine.
Kushner said the United States would maintain consultations with European partners during the upcoming negotiations in Abu Dhabi.
Washington will "consult closely with our European partners on the sidelines" of the talks and "if progress is made, aim to move toward a broader multilateral format with their direct participation", he said.
The discussions are expected to take place next week, with European participation in a broader negotiating format dependent on progress in the talks.
Separately, the NATO-Ukraine Council held an extraordinary meeting Thursday at NATO headquarters in Brussels to discuss Ukraine's urgent defense requirements ahead of winter.
According to Ukraine's Mission to NATO, the meeting was chaired by NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.
Ukrainian officials Sergiy Boyev, who attended in person, and Serhii Sobko, who joined by video conference, briefed allied representatives on the country's defense priorities.
"It is essential to mobilise all partners to the fullest extent, accelerate new decisions, and translate previously announced commitments into concrete deliveries of equipment or transfers of funds," the mission said in a statement.
Ukraine also outlined its immediate battlefield requirements and longer-term military needs for the coming year.
"Now was precisely the time to provide partners with the latest information on the scale and nature of Russian threats, and to present Ukraine’s needs and priority expectations—both to 'fight tonight' and to 'fight tomorrow,' meaning Ukraine's requirements for next year," the statement said.
The Ukrainian mission said the meeting was particularly important ahead of the next Ukraine Defense Contact Group gathering, scheduled for Nov. 17 under the leadership of the United Kingdom and Germany.
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