US Envoys Witkoff and Kushner Arrive in Moscow for High-Stakes Talks With Putin

OPA WIRE, Nov 12 (OPA) — US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner touched down in Moscow on Thursday morning following a round of US-mediated trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi. Putin's special representative Kirill Dmitriev welcomed the delegation at Moscow's Vnukovo Airport. The previous negotiations on 10–11 November yielded an agreement in principle on a major prisoner-of-war exchange but left critical disagreements unresolved regarding territory and post-war security guarantees.

Speaking to reporters before the meeting, Jared Kushner stated that the discussions would focus on the Abu Dhabi outcomes and seek Moscow's approval to integrate European representatives into the diplomatic process. "We see some openings and some opportunities," Kushner said, noting plans to travel to Dublin afterward to brief Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. This visit marks Steve Witkoff's tenth trip to Russia since President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January 2025.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced that Putin would first review reports from Moscow's Abu Dhabi delegation before assessing the US proposals. Meanwhile, Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky adopted a hardline stance, asserting that Russia would only accept an agreement on its own terms and dismissing immediate European participation in peace efforts. Medinsky claimed European nations remained complicit in a collective deception of the Ukrainian people.

Despite the maximalist positions from Moscow, Ukrainian chief negotiator Rustem Umerov confirmed that the Abu Dhabi discussions addressed broader peace frameworks and post-war reconstruction. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, currently in Dublin meeting with European leaders, expressed cautious optimism. Zelenskyy emphasized the need for the US envoys to return with concrete proposals to advance the stalled diplomatic process.