The US envoys are expected to brief the Russian president Vladimir Putin on the outcome of two days of trilateral negotiations in Abu Dhabi.
US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff have arrived in Moscow for talks on resolving the Ukraine conflict, following two days of trilateral negotiations between Russia, Ukraine, and the US in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Representatives of the three countries concluded two days of discussions in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, marking their first formal three-way meeting since February.
Following the talks, Kushner said he believes there is room for progress on some of the issues.
Kushner and Witkoff landed at Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport yesterday morning, where they were greeted by Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev. Footage of the arrival shows Dmitriev embracing Witkoff while Kushner smiles beneath an umbrella.
In a post on X, Dmitriev described the mood of the American negotiators as positive ahead of their talks in Moscow.
Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov told Kommersant that Kushner and Witkoff will meet Putin before noon.
“We do not yet know the outcome of the Abu Dhabi negotiations,” he said.
Kushner previously described the negotiations in Abu Dhabi as “very substantive,” saying the delegations covered all major issues.
He added that a final agreement would not be possible without resolving territorial disputes. Moscow has long insisted that a lasting agreement must address the root causes of the crisis.
Second day of Russia-Ukraine-US talks concludes in Abu Dhabi.
The negotiations also produced an agreement in principle on a major prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine, according to Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, who headed Moscow’s delegation. The number of prisoners involved has yet to be finalised.
Kushner said the upcoming meeting with Putin would also address the possibility of involving European countries in future negotiations.
European representatives remain outside the trilateral talks, although they met separately with US and Ukrainian officials on Tuesday. Moscow has questioned their contribution and has accused European governments of undermining previous peace agreements and prolonging the fighting through continued weapons supplies.
Following their visit to Moscow, Kushner and Witkoff plan to travel to Dublin to meet Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky. — DW.com
