Ukraine peace talks: US envoys arrive in Russia to meet with Putin
Quick Look
- US President Donald Trump's special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow after trilateral peace talks in Abu Dhabi, where the sides agreed on a major prisoner exchange.
- They are expected to meet Vladimir Putin before traveling to Ireland to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, amid continued overnight attacks between Russia and Ukraine.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
US mediators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow after two days of trilateral peace talks in the United Arab Emirates. The talks did not yield major breakthroughs, but the sides agreed on another prisoner exchange. Continued overnight attacks between Russia and Ukraine persist amid efforts to end Moscow's ongoing invasion.
US mediators, Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, and special envoy Steve Witkoff have arrived in Moscow, according to Russian news agencies.
"At Vnukovo [Airport], US President's special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff were met by Russian President's special representative Kirill Dmitriev," Interfax news agency said.
"Welcoming Steve and Jared to Moscow," Dmitriev said on X, with an accompanying picture of himself shaking hands with Witkoff with Kushner standing alongside.
The pair had been in the United Arab Emirates over the past two days for trilateral peace talks.
"One of the positives is we agreed that we're going to have the biggest humanitarian release of prisoners, which we're going to finalize the numbers tomorrow," Kushner said after the Abu Dhabi talks ended.
Kushner and Witkoff are expected to address the issue of including European partners in the current trilateral format.
After meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kushner and Witkoff are expected to make their way to Ireland, where they are due to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
There have been continued overnight attacks between Russia and Ukraine amid efforts to bring an end to Moscow's ongoing invasion.
Russia's Defense Ministry said on Telegram that it had targeted military and energy facilities in Ukraine, as well as a munitions warehouse in the capital Kyiv.
The Reuters news agency reported explosions had been heard in Kyiv in the early hours of the morning, citing a witness, while a local official said that energy and civilian infrastructure had been damaged in the Rivne region.
Meanwhile, Moscow's Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that Russia had shot down five drones heading towards the capital.
Drones were also reportedly shot down in other Russian regions, including Rostov and Tula.
Efforts to broker peace in Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine are continuing with US mediators now in Moscow.
Jared Kushner and envoy Steve Witkoff are due to meet with the Russian president before possibly heading on to Dublin, where they would meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy who is attending European meetings.
On Wednesday, Zelenskyy said there may be a "window of opportunity" to bring an end to the fighting, although the efforts to broker peace are taking place amid continued hostilities between Russia and Ukraine.
Two days of talks in the United Arab Emirates didn't yield major breakthroughs, but the two sides did agree on another prisoner exchange.
Follow here for the latest developments on the peace talks and other news from the war in Ukraine.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Kushner and Witkoff will meet with Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
Very likely · Within days
Kushner and Witkoff will travel to Ireland to meet Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Likely · Within days
The sides will finalize prisoner exchange numbers.
Very likely · Within days
Open Questions
- What specific topics will Kushner and Witkoff address with Vladimir Putin?
- Will European partners be included in the trilateral peace format?
- What are the final numbers for the prisoner exchange?
- When exactly will Kushner and Witkoff travel to Ireland to meet Zelenskyy?
