U.S. special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrive in Moscow to meet with Putin

MOSCOW - US diplomats Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff touched down in Russia's capital on Thursday (Nov 12) to engage in discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as part of their ongoing efforts to secure a peace agreement in Ukraine. The Kremlin meetings, anticipated to occur during the early hours of the day, mark the 10th occasion where Witkoff has met with Putin in person, following two days of trilateral peace talks in Abu Dhabi that concluded on Wednesday.

During these talks, a potential major prisoner exchange was announced, but no significant breakthroughs were made in broader negotiations.

Kirill Dmitriev, Putin's special envoy, met with Kushner and Witkoff upon their arrival from Abu Dhabi amid wet snow, before proceeding to central Moscow for their meeting with Putin. This week's Abu Dhabi negotiations represented the initial direct deliberations between Russia and Ukraine, mediated by the US, aimed at concluding the four-and-a-half-year conflict within nine months.

While both Russian and Ukrainian negotiators reported some progress, the US delegation maintained that substantial differences remain on pivotal issues, particularly territorial claims. Despite initial optimism from US President Trump, no clear signs of major concessions have emerged thus far. Kyiv has firmly rejected Putin's proposal to cede the entire eastern Donbas region in exchange for peace, and as the discussions remain stagnant on military fronts, US mediators have sought to redirect the focus towards post-war security assurances and reconstruction efforts.

A senior Russian diplomat hinted on Wednesday that Moscow might be open to forming non-aggression pacts with NATO member states as part of a restructured European security framework, although many European politicians oppose initiating discussions on European security before achieving tangible progress in Ukraine, such as achieving a ceasefire.