Kushner says Russia and Ukraine talks to widen as a major prisoner swap is pursued

Jared Kushner, acting as an envoy for US President Donald Trump, has said that efforts are under way toward what could become the largest exchange of prisoners since Russia's war in Ukraine began. The Jerusalem Post reported that Kushner described the United States as working toward the "largest prisoner exchange" of the conflict.

Kushner also said that Russia and Ukraine have agreed to broaden their next round of talks and to bring European partners into it, according to the Israeli broadcaster N12, writing on its foreign news desk channel. N12 quoted him as saying the sides were moving to advance a deal that may turn out to be the biggest such swap of the war. Neither outlet published a date, a size or a timetable for the proposed exchange.

Who is speaking

Jared Kushner is President Trump's son-in-law. N12 identified him as Trump's envoy in this context. A photograph published alongside the Jerusalem Post report showed Kushner with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff speaking to journalists in Dublin, Ireland. According to the caption, that appearance took place on the day of a European Political Community summit and followed a trip by the US envoys to Russia.

The European Political Community is a forum that brings together leaders from across Europe, including countries both inside and outside the European Union, for periodic summits. The reports do not say whether the Dublin appearance was connected to the remarks Kushner made about the talks.

What the two reports say, and how they differ

The reports agree on the core claim: Kushner spoke of a prisoner exchange that would be larger than any carried out so far in the war. They frame it slightly differently. The Jerusalem Post headline presents the United States as the party working toward the exchange. N12's edited version of its report attributes the effort to the parties themselves, meaning Russia and Ukraine, and adds a note of caution, describing the deal as one that could become the largest rather than one that will.

Only N12 reported the second part of Kushner's remarks, on expanding the next round of talks and including European partners. The Jerusalem Post material available to us does not mention it. Both N12 items carry a credit to the Reuters news agency for the accompanying photograph, but neither cites Reuters as the source of the quotes.

Why European involvement matters

European governments have been among Ukraine's main backers throughout the war, and the question of whether they would have a seat in negotiations led by Washington has been a recurring issue. Kushner's statement, as reported by N12, indicates that both Moscow and Kyiv have accepted a wider format for the coming round. The reports do not name which European countries or institutions would take part, or in what role.

Prisoner exchanges in context

Russia and Ukraine have swapped captured soldiers and detained civilians at several points during the war, often with third countries acting as intermediaries. Such exchanges have tended to continue even when broader political talks stalled. Kushner's reference to a record-sized exchange places this effort within that pattern, but the reports give no figure against which to measure it.

Why this is being reported in Israel

Israeli media follow the Russia-Ukraine war closely, and many Israelis have family ties to both countries. Kushner and Witkoff are also familiar figures to Israeli readers from US diplomacy in the Middle East.

What the reports do not say

• No number of prisoners, and no date or location for the proposed exchange, has been given.
• Neither report includes any response from the Russian or Ukrainian governments confirming Kushner's account of their agreement to expand the talks.
• The reports do not say when or where the next round of negotiations will be held, or which European partners have been invited.
• It is not stated whether the exchange depends on progress in the wider talks or would proceed independently.