Putin holds talks in Moscow with Witkoff and Kushner after the Abu Dhabi meeting

Russian President Vladimir Putin is holding talks in Moscow with the American envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. They flew in on the morning of 12 November, right after two days of three-way talks in Abu Dhabi. At Vnukovo the delegation was met by Kirill Dmitriev, special representative of the Russian president.

The meeting was officially scheduled to begin at 12:00 Moscow time. Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov told journalists that Putin would discuss with the Americans issues leading to a settlement of the conflict in Ukraine. His words: "We will discuss today issues leading to a settlement of the crisis around Ukraine."

For Witkoff this is the tenth visit to Russia since February 2025, for Kushner the third. Kushner has been appointed special envoy for peace; Witkoff is also a US special envoy.

Kushner said Moscow would receive settlement proposals that the US had agreed with Ukraine and European partners. According to him, one aim of the trip would be to try to find out whether the Europeans can be brought into the dialogue. Ushakov, for his part, said the Europeans still cannot choose a single candidate for the role of negotiator with Russia.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Putin would set out the Russian position to the Americans and that the sides had made progress as a result of Abu Dhabi. Putin, according to reports, proposed organising a humanitarian mission from Kostiantynivka on the model of Oleshky.

After Abu Dhabi, territory, security guarantees, the mechanism of a possible ceasefire and Europe's future role in the talks remain unresolved.

The three-way talks between Russia, Ukraine and the US took place in Abu Dhabi on 10–11 November with US mediation. According to reports, these are the first such talks in nine months. The Ukrainian delegation was led by Rustem Umerov.

The main outcome is an agreement in principle between Russia and Ukraine on a large exchange of prisoners of war. Umerov reported it, while Vladimir Medinsky said the sides had discussed humanitarian issues. The details are still being agreed, and the parameters of the exchange have not been announced.

Kushner said that in Moscow he intends to try to achieve more progress on issues where, in his words, "we see some opportunities there" (translation not needed: the quotation is in Russian).

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the talks were productive but that much work still lies ahead. Arakhamia, according to reports, spoke of a chance to find a solution before the New Year. Medinsky promised that "every inch of Russian land" would be returned.

After Moscow, Witkoff and Kushner plan to go to Dublin for consultations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The American delegation intends to discuss the prisoner exchange in person with the presidents of Russia and Ukraine.