United States President Donald Trump’s envoys met President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin on Thursday. The visit came directly after two days of US-mediated negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Abu Dhabi.
Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who is also Trump’s son-in-law, brokered the discussions in the capital of the United Arab Emirates. These were the first direct talks between Moscow and Kyiv in nine months.
The negotiations ended without a major breakthrough, though both sides agreed to a large prisoner exchange. The exact number of detainees to be swapped has not been announced.
Kushner and Witkoff traveled straight to the Kremlin to brief Putin after the Abu Dhabi meetings. They are scheduled to fly next to Dublin, Ireland, for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Kushner stated that one objective of the meeting with Putin was to secure the Russian leader’s blessing for European representatives to join the peace process. The US and Zelensky want Europe to appoint a single negotiator to deal with Moscow.
Moscow opposes European involvement in direct talks, citing European financial and military support for Kyiv. Putin reaffirmed to the US envoys that Russia rejects any European troop presence in Ukraine and views such forces as legitimate targets.
Zelensky is in Dublin for a meeting of more than 40 European countries and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. Zelensky said that political shifts in the US and upcoming European votes could create a window of opportunity for a peace deal.
Fighting continues along the 1,200-kilometer front line as winter approaches. Russia’s Defense Ministry reported that air defenses downed 71 Ukrainian drones overnight, while strikes hit a drone-making plant in Kyiv and three other facilities.
The Ukrainian air force stated that Russia launched missiles and 123 drones overnight, with hits recorded at 17 locations. Zelensky also reported that Ukraine is experiencing another slowdown in the US Starshield satellite system.
Zelensky said military units recorded major disruptions, including speed restrictions limiting drones to 161 kph. SpaceX previously acknowledged throttling the service to prevent offensive strikes against Russia.
A Russian serviceman was killed in St. Petersburg early Thursday when his vehicle exploded. Russia’s Investigative Committee reported the blast but did not identify the victim.
