Trump envoys meet Putin in Moscow
Witkoff and Kushner arrive to discuss prisoner swap results after Abu Dhabi talks.
By Simon Bennett ·
Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner landed in Moscow on Thursday to meet with President Vladimir Putin. The two senior U.S. advisors arrived to discuss the outcome of recent mediation efforts between Russian and Ukrainian delegations.
Witkoff and Kushner had spent the previous two days in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Their negotiations concluded on Wednesday with an agreement for a broad exchange of prisoners of war. The talks did not produce a visible path to ending the nearly five years of hostilities between the two nations.
Kushner, who is also the son-in-law of President Donald Trump, stated that he and Witkoff would fly to Dublin, Ireland, after their meeting in Moscow. The pair plans to sit down with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss the next steps in the diplomatic process.
Zelenskyy offered a measured response to the Abu Dhabi results. He described the proposed prisoner exchange as a positive step. However, he maintained that Ukraine would not yield to demands to cede Russian-occupied territory in exchange for peace.
The Abu Dhabi summit marked the first direct meeting between delegations in nine months. Few observers expected major breakthroughs given the wide gap in peace demands. Russia and Ukraine have conducted occasional prisoner swaps, but they remain far apart on the terms for a final settlement.
Key obstacles include the status of occupied territory and the role of European nations in any deal. Moscow has resisted including European countries in direct negotiations, citing their concerns about Russian intentions. Kushner said a primary goal of the Moscow meeting is to bring European partners into the conversation.
Kushner noted that both Kyiv and Moscow need clarity on postwar security arrangements. He argued that European countries, the European Union, and NATO must participate to build consensus. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday that European representatives could join later. He added that current European statements do not show a desire to advance peace, as Moscow complains Europe finances and supplies arms to Ukraine.
