US Envoys Reach Moscow for Putin Talks as Ukraine Diplomacy Continues
Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived for talks with Vladimir Putin after negotiations in Abu Dhabi produced limited humanitarian progress but no apparent breakthrough toward peace.
By Olga Menon ·
US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Moscow on November 12 to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, continuing diplomatic efforts to end Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Their visit followed two days of trilateral negotiations in Abu Dhabi that left Moscow and Kyiv far apart on the terms of a settlement.
Kirill Dmitriev, a senior Russian official involved in negotiations with Washington, greeted the envoys at Vnukovo airport. The trip is Witkoff's 10th visit to Russia for discussions with Putin about resolving the conflict. Witkoff and Kushner have been leading figures in the negotiations since President Donald Trump made ending the war a foreign policy priority after beginning his second term in 2025.
Following their meeting with Putin, the envoys are expected to travel to Dublin for discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The Ukrainian leader had arrived in Ireland for a gathering of European leaders. The planned meetings come after the November 10 and 11 talks in Abu Dhabi appeared to produce only limited movement on humanitarian issues, with preparations underway for a large-scale prisoner exchange.
US officials characterized those negotiations as difficult but productive. There was nevertheless no indication of a peace breakthrough, and the Kremlin showed no willingness to soften its demands. Russia's chief negotiator, Vladimir Medinsky, ruled out territorial exchanges in a settlement. Medinsky also headed talks with Ukraine in 2022 and 2025 that failed to resolve the deadlock.
A central obstacle remains Russia's demand for complete control of Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, including territory its forces have not captured. Moscow has sought that condition for years, and the question of territory is widely viewed as crucial to any resolution of the war.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine wanted tangible results from negotiations before the end of the year, while stressing that much depended on Washington's approach to Moscow. Ukraine is entering its fifth winter at war, with continuing Russian attacks repeatedly depriving thousands of people of power or heating. He said Kyiv would do everything it could to secure results this year.
Ukraine has consistently maintained that stronger pressure on the Kremlin and Russia's war machine could alter the balance of power and bring Moscow into meaningful negotiations. The Trump administration has pursued a more conciliatory course, recently relaxing sanctions and reaching a diesel agreement with Russia while urging Ukraine to refrain from attacking Russian oil refineries.
At his previous meeting with Putin in October, Witkoff described the Russian president as a "humanitarian" following the release of imprisoned US citizen Stephen Hubbard. Witkoff presented the release as a gesture of goodwill.
Fighting continued as the envoys reached Moscow. Russia and Ukraine exchanged drone and missile attacks on November 12, with officials reporting at least one death in Kyiv and another in the southern Kherson region. Attacks also damaged civilian and energy infrastructure in western Rivne. Russian authorities said they intercepted drones approaching Moscow and over other regions, including Rostov and Tula.
