Situation Overview: Trump's Envoy with a Sensitive Message to Putin
In the Abu Dhabi talks, Europeans were not sitting at the negotiating table. Now Trump's negotiators are supposed to persuade Putin to change his mind - but Moscow is pursuing its own plans.
US envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, are set to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow to share their perspective on recent high-level talks involving Russia, Ukraine, and the United States. These discussions took place in Abu Dhabi, where they addressed the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Putin's foreign policy adviser, Ouchakov, has announced that the meeting will take place during the first half of the day.
According to a Russian state news agency, Tass, Ouchakov praised the US representatives for bringing something valuable to the table but did not provide specifics.
In recent days, Russia has carried out air strikes in Ukraine, including an attack on the capital, Kyiv, with ballistic missiles. This marks Witkoff's fourth visit to Putin this year. On his return to the United States, Witkoff and Kushner plan to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Dublin, Ireland. The G7 summit, attended by leaders from nearly 50 countries, is currently underway, focusing on efforts to end the Russian aggression against Ukraine.
US representatives aim to convince Putin that Europe should be included in future peace talks, stating that the EU and NATO should be integral parts of negotiations for an end to the war. Kushner argued during the Abu Dhabi talks that the EU and NATO should be an integral part of discussions regarding the end of the conflict. The EU and NATO representatives were present in Abu Dhabi for separate discussions but did not participate in direct negotiations with Russia.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg praised the meeting as a sign of unity between the United States, Europe, and Ukraine. The only agreement reached during the meeting was the exchange of prisoners between Moscow and Kyiv. Ukrainian negotiator David Arachamija expressed optimism and suggested that a "solution before the new year" might be possible.
Moscow's delegation leader, Vladimir Medinski, however, reaffirmed Russia's unyielding stance, asserting that Russia would only be satisfied if they "win and sign a peace treaty on our terms." Medinski criticized Europe's current security architecture, calling it a "sick organism," and stated that the recent ceasefire in the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol was a result of broken ceasefire negotiations focused on a new security order for Europe.
On a separate note, a Russian drone strike on the Ukrainian port city of Chornomorsk near Odessa resulted in at least four deaths, with the city's governor, Oleh Kiper, reporting that the drone hit a market in the city center. The port city is a frequent target of Russian attacks.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
