US envoys in Moscow for meeting with Putin following talks in Abu Dhabi

Detailed summary

Envoys for U.S. President Donald Trump have arrived in Moscow to discuss U.S.-mediated talks between Russia and Ukraine

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U.S. President Donald Trump's envoys arrived in Moscow on Thursday for talks with President Vladimir Putin about the results of U.S.-mediated negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian delegations.

Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who is also Trump's son-in-law, attended the two days of negotiations in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. The talks wrapped up Wednesday with an agreement on a large exchange of prisoners, but no visible breakthrough on ending the nearly five-year hostilities.

After meeting with Putin, Kushner said that he and Witkoff will fly to Dublin, Ireland, to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Zelenskyy gave a muted welcome to the outcome of the talks, saying that the proposed prisoner exchange was a positive step. At the same time, he insisted that Ukraine won't give in to demands that it cede its territory that has been occupied by Russia in exchange for peace.

Along with post-conflict security guarantees for both countries, other key hurdles are the fate of Russia-occupied Ukrainian territory and what role European countries will play in an eventual settlement.

Moscow doesn’t want European countries, which are concerned about Russia’s conduct and broader intentions on the continent, involved in the direct negotiations. Kushner said that one of the goals of the Moscow meeting is to try to get Europeans added to the talks.

Kushner noted that both Ukraine and Russia needed clarity on post-conflict security arrangements, and European countries, the European Union and NATO have to be involved in those discussions to build consensus on the next steps.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday that European representatives could eventually join peace talks.

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