Trump envoys to meet Zelenskyy in Dublin for Ukraine talks during major summit

Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff will travel from Moscow to Dublin as 50 leaders gather for Europe’s largest diplomatic event in Ireland

Taoiseach Micheál Martin meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv in July. Photograph: Government Information Service

Ireland will be the location of high-level international discussions about Ukraine as US president Donald Trump’s two special envoys are to meet Volodymyr Zelenskyy while the European summit is being held in Dublin.

The sudden development was revealed as Mr Zelenskyy flew into Ireland and met Taoiseach Micheál Martin at Government Buildings on Wednesday evening.

Heightened and complex security arrangements were in place as Mr Zelenskyy’s flight, along with those of other international leaders, landed at Dublin Airport, Baldonnel military air base, and Shannon Airport.

Defence Forces' Air Corps assets are conducting active patrols, both near Dublin Airport, and further inland.

Tomorrow’s European Political Community (EPC) summit takes place at the Convention Centre, on Dublin’s north quays, and is the largest diplomatic event ever in Ireland.

Up to 50 heads of state are due to attend the event, which combines the leaders of the 27 EU states and leaders of some 20 other countries, including Ukraine, the UK, and Norway.

It emerged this morning that Mr Trump's two special envoys are to meet Mr Zelenskyy in Dublin at some stage tomorrow.

Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are first flying to Moscow for talks with Russian president Vladimir Putin, before flying to Dublin to meet with the Ukrainian president.

Mr Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and the US special envoy for peace, made the announcement after Ukraine and Russia finished their second day of US-brokered negotiations in Abu Dhabi.

Speaking from there earlier, Mr Kushner said that the meeting in Dublin would involve a “debrief” with Mr Zelenskyy and that they would “further explore some of the ideas that [they] came up with here today”.

The meeting is not part of the EPC event, but it is considered likely, for security reasons, that they will meet at the Convention Centre, though this is not clear.

These meetings are being treated by Irish authorities as a bilateral issue between the US and Ukraine, with security services and certain officials providing support.

Nato secretary general, Mark Rutte, is also taking part in the EPC and will have multiple bilateral meetings with leaders, including Mr Zelenskyy.

The various leaders, including Mr Zelenskyy, will do a doorstep interview with international and local media tomorrow morning on their way into the event.

Some 900 media have registered to attend, and officials expect that around 60% will attend.

The Taoiseach will formally greet all leaders as they enter and will talk at a plenary session, along with Mr Zelenskyy and EU Council President Antonio Costa.

There will follow closed-door panel discussions on various topics – with the security situation in Ukraine set to dominate.

Hybrid attacks in Europe are also on the agenda, coming on the back of mass, seemingly coordinated, campaigns of cyber attacks on European supermarkets and some blood banks, and bomb threats, all hoaxes to date, against airlines and schools, including in Ireland.

The leaders will also discuss European economic security and democratic resilience.

Each panel has two chairs – one from the EU and one from a non-EU country.

There will be a press conference later tomorrow with the media and a closing plenary session at the end of the day.

It is not clear if the Taoiseach will have a separate meeting with UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham outside of the EPC.

A formal dinner is being held on the other side of the River Liffey at the National Gallery tomorrow night, which will be closed to the leaders.

Extensive road, air, and maritime exclusion zones are in place.