Trump Envoys Witkoff and Kushner Meet With Putin in Moscow for Ukraine Talks

On November 12, 2026, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, envoys of former U.S. President Donald Trump, met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow to discuss the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The meeting came after two days of talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Abu Dhabi, which failed to produce significant progress.

Putin welcomed the U.S. envoys and showed footage of their arrival. Putin asked the envoys to convey gratitude to Trump for bringing the two nations together. Kushner stated that the meeting would focus on the results of the Abu Dhabi discussions, which concluded with plans for another prisoner exchange but no concrete steps towards ending the war.

After the Moscow meeting, the envoys will travel to Dublin to inform Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of any developments. Zelensky expressed optimism about the possibility of reaching a peace deal by the beginning of 2027, emphasizing the need for a window of opportunity. However, significant differences remain, particularly over the territory of the eastern Donbas.

Ukraine has rejected Putin's demand for the surrender of the entire region. U.S. mediators have focused on discussing post-war security guarantees and reconstruction. Some European countries are hesitant to participate in future negotiations, with Russia's Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky criticizing their role in supplying weapons to one of the warring parties.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Zelensky raised concerns about new speed restrictions on Starshield, a military version of Elon Musk's Starlink service. The Ukrainian military is facing systematic restrictions on Starshield, which is crucial for their drone strike missions and air defenses. Ukraine has accused the U.S. of imposing these restrictions, while SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk denied any involvement.