War in Ukraine: Europeans return to the diplomatic game but are wary of a Trafalgar coup from Trump

Have you missed the latest events on the war in Ukraine? 20 Minutes takes stock for you every evening. Here is the gist of this Friday, November 13, 2026, on the 1,723rd day of the conflict.

Fact of the day

Europeans finally invited into the diplomatic ballet? The United States now seems committed to this perspective. Jared Kushner, Donald Trump's son-in-law and negotiator, considers that a peace agreement cannot be concluded "without the Europeans being at the negotiating table". And those concerned cautiously take note of this endorsement. They even, according to the confidences of a diplomat, decided this Friday in Dublin on the composition of a possible delegation, composed, in addition to officials of the Commission and the European Council, of five countries: France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Poland and Italy.

But “above all, we need a ceasefire”, otherwise “we will fall into the traps that Russia sets for us, to divert our attention”, warns the head of EU diplomacy, Kaja Kallas.

And, above all, Russia would have to agree. Which is not yet the case. The spokesperson for the Russian presidency Dmitry Peskov indicated this Friday that Moscow first wanted to know the “true intentions” of the Europeans, and to ensure “their willingness to contribute to the peace process”, before “deciding on holding talks in an expanded format”. So to be continued.

Today's statement

“I want to reiterate our message to the United States very clearly: please, no surprises. Stay on Team Europe and Team Ukraine, and let's work together for real peace in Ukraine. »

While a possible Putin-Trump meeting, perhaps with Xi Jinping, is fueling, particularly in Ukraine, fears of a “Yalta”, where the big three would decide the fate of Europe in his absence, the German chancellor prefers to be safe than sorry and avoid another change of heart from the versatile US president. The meeting, not yet confirmed, is planned in China next week (November 18 or 19) on the occasion of the Apec (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) Summit.

The number of the day

1,198. The rather unprecedented number of drones that Ukraine launched in the night on Russia, according to Moscow, which deplores four deaths. On the Ukrainian side, Russian strikes during the night killed at least three people.

The trend

If Vladimir Putin is ever to speak with Volodymyr Zelensky, he insists it will be in Moscow. Marine Le Pen chooses Brussels. The RN candidate for the 2027 presidential election, who recently planned to “turn off the tap” in kyiv in the event of accession to the Élysée, said she was ready for a meeting with the Ukrainian president to talk in particular about the “financing” of Ukraine.

Our file on the war in Ukraine

“Yes, if I can meet him in Brussels, I will tell the Ukrainian ambassador,” said the candidate on the sidelines of a visit to the Made in France show. “I find that the location would be quite justified because the reality is that the problem of financing Ukraine is a problem which is shaking Europe today,” she added.