US Envoys Arrive in Moscow for Talks with Putin Following Abu Dhabi Negotiations

United States envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow on Thursday to hold discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding the war in Ukraine. The diplomatic mission follows two days of trilateral talks in the United Arab Emirates that ended without a major breakthrough on resolving the nearly five-year conflict.

Kirill Dmitriev, a special envoy to Putin, received the American delegation upon their arrival in the Russian capital. The negotiations in Abu Dhabi were the first direct US-mediated discussions between Ukrainian and Russian representatives in nine months. Although the meetings produced an agreement on an upcoming major prisoner exchange, US officials stated that significant divergence remains on core issues such as territorial control.

Kyiv has rejected Russian demands to cede the entire eastern region of Donbas as a condition for a settlement. A central goal of the American envoys in Moscow is to present an updated peace framework and to discuss the potential inclusion of European countries in future talks. Ukraine and the United States advocate for European involvement in the negotiation process, while Russian officials maintain that negotiations should take place without European participation.

As discussions proceeded in Moscow, heads of state and government from over 40 countries met in Dublin for a European Political Community summit focused on security challenges. The gathering included Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. Kushner and Witkoff are scheduled to travel to Dublin on Friday to meet with Zelenskyy following their consultations with Russian leadership.

Amid the diplomatic movements, French Minister Delegate for European Affairs Benjamin Haddad stated on Thursday that the European Union would approve further restrictive measures against Moscow. Haddad indicated that the upcoming sanction package, scheduled for formal approval on Monday, will target 150 additional entities and 50 financial institutions, with France submitting most of the proposed names.

Written by Christiane Hofreiter christiane.hofreiter@alpineweekly.com