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United States envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Moscow on Thursday, November 12, for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin as Washington intensifies efforts to secure an end to the war in Ukraine.
The visit follows two days of US-mediated negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Although the discussions produced an agreement on another major prisoner exchange, they ended without a public breakthrough on the wider peace settlement.
Putin’s special representative, Kirill Dmitriev, welcomed Witkoff and Kushner at Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport before accompanying them towards the city centre for the meeting.
Kushner, who is also US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, said the delegation would review the issues discussed in Abu Dhabi and pursue areas where both sides could make progress. He said the American team had identified possible openings but acknowledged that difficult differences remained.
The Abu Dhabi negotiations brought together representatives of Russia, Ukraine and the United States for the first direct trilateral talks in nine months. The discussions covered territorial disputes, security guarantees for Ukraine after the war and broader European security arrangements.
The prisoner exchange agreement emerged as one of the clearest outcomes of the meetings. Kushner described it as the biggest exchange of its kind so far, although the parties did not immediately disclose the number of prisoners involved. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv was awaiting Moscow’s response to a possible exchange involving 1,000 or more prisoners on each side.
Territory remains one of the most difficult obstacles to a settlement. Russia wants Ukraine to withdraw from parts of the eastern Donbas region that remain under Ukrainian control. Kyiv has rejected the demand and insists that it will not surrender its territory as the price of ending the war.
The two sides also disagree over the security arrangements that would follow any peace agreement. Ukraine wants firm guarantees from its international partners to prevent another Russian invasion, while Moscow is seeking a broader agreement on Europe’s security structure and NATO’s military presence near Russian borders.
The role of European countries in the negotiations is another point of disagreement. Ukraine wants its European partners involved in decisions that could determine its future security. Russia, however, has questioned what European governments would contribute to the direct negotiations.
Witkoff and Kushner are expected to raise the possibility of greater European participation during their meeting with Putin. European officials have maintained that discussions about the continent’s wider security arrangements should not take precedence over securing progress towards a ceasefire in Ukraine.
After the Moscow meeting, the American envoys are expected to travel to Dublin, Ireland, for consultations with Zelensky, who is attending meetings with European leaders. The discussions will give the Ukrainian president an opportunity to hear directly from the US delegation about its engagement with Putin.
Zelensky has expressed cautious hope that the latest diplomatic efforts could create an opportunity to end the war before 2027. However, he has stressed that Ukraine needs concrete proposals and will not accept a settlement that requires it to surrender occupied or government-controlled territory.
The talks are taking place as Russia continues its attacks on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure, while Ukraine maintains its military resistance. The continued fighting underscores the distance between the two sides despite renewed diplomatic engagement.
Trump has repeatedly expressed confidence that his administration can help end the conflict. However, the Moscow meeting faces major challenges, particularly over territory, security guarantees and the involvement of European countries.
The outcome of the discussions with Putin and the subsequent meeting with Zelensky could determine whether the latest diplomatic initiative produces a workable path towards further negotiations.
