U.S. envoys Kushner, Witkoff meet with Putin at Kremlin in talks to end Russia-Ukraine war

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U.S. President Donald Trump's envoys met on Thursday with Russian President Vladimir Putin as Washington sought new momentum in peace efforts after two days of U.S.-mediated negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian delegations.

Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who is also Trump's son-in-law, brokered the talks in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates — the first direct discussions between representatives of Moscow and Kyiv in nine months as the push for peace stalled.

The two days of talks that ended on Wednesday produced no major breakthrough, aside from an agreement to swap a large number of prisoners, with the exact figure still to be announced.

Kushner and Witkoff met with Putin at the Kremlin and are scheduled to fly later to Dublin, Ireland, for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as Moscow's full-scale invasion nears the five-year mark.

Kushner said that one of the goals of the meeting with Putin was to get the Russian leader's blessing for European representatives to be part of the talks, which are looking at the continent's broader security arrangements.

The U.S. and Zelenskyy want Europe to appoint a single person to negotiate with Moscow.

But Moscow doesn't want European countries involved in the direct negotiations, complaining they are financing and supplying Ukraine's war effort. The Europeans are concerned about Russia's conduct and broader intentions on the continent, and whether the U.S. will be too accommodating to Kremlin demands.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov argued that for Europe to join peace talks, it first must name a representative.

"The Europeans squabble like spiders in a jar. If someone takes the initiative to establish contact with the Russian side, such people are facing ostracism."

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