In brief: US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will fly to Moscow on Nov. 12 to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kushner said after Abu Dhabi’s trilateral talks concluded. They are then due to meet President Volodymyr Zelensky. A Ukrainian negotiator said a new round of talks should be scheduled after those meetings.
US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will travel to Moscow on Thursday to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kushner said Wednesday at a press conference in Abu Dhabi after the trilateral talks with Ukraine and Russia concluded.
The envoys will then hold talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Kushner said.
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The Abu Dhabi talks took place on Nov. 11-12 as the US mediated negotiations between Ukrainian and Russian delegations.
The first day focused on the future security architecture and security guarantees for Europe, Ukraine and Russia, as well as another prisoner swap. After the second day, the Russian delegation said European security had been the central topic and that the sides had reached mutual understanding on some issues.
However, there has been no breakthrough on territories, as Russia’s chief negotiator vowed to reclaim “every inch” of Russian territory Moscow claims, while Kyiv has rejected a US proposal to redraw the border in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region.
Witkoff described the talks as working-level negotiations. The agenda covered post-war security arrangements, de-escalation, humanitarian measures and ending the war. Ahead of the meeting, Zelensky held a 90-minute phone call with Witkoff and Kushner on Nov. 4 to discuss preparations.
Kushner said the envoys intend to review the Abu Dhabi discussions with Putin and try to make further progress, adding that they see opportunities and prospects.
Ukraine Talks in Abu Dhabi: Europe Sidelined
Davyd Arakhamia, a member of the Ukrainian negotiating team, said a date for a new round of talks should be set once Witkoff and Kushner have been to Moscow and then met Zelensky in Dublin.
He added that Kyiv believes there is enough momentum to reach a solution before the new year.
The Abu Dhabi talks were the first trilateral meeting since February, when negotiations in Geneva produced no breakthrough. Witkoff announced earlier that the US would bring the Ukrainian and Russian delegations together on Nov. 10-11 to discuss ending the war, post-war security agreements and de-escalation.
Anastasiia Bzova is journalist covering politics, culture and current affairs. She focuses on delivering accurate, accessible reporting that helps readers understand the issues shaping their opinions.