Russia ready to continue working with US on Ukraine peace deal

Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed readiness to collaborate with the United States on a settlement in Ukraine, yet emphasized that any potential agreement must address the nation's security concerns. The meeting between Putin and U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner took place in the Kremlin and lasted over two hours, following recent trilateral discussions in Abu Dhabi.

Putin highlighted Russia's desire for enduring peace in Ukraine but cautioned that unresolved territorial and security matters could render any agreement unstable. He reiterated Moscow's stance against foreign troops being deployed in Ukraine, asserting that such a deployment would become a legitimate target for Russian forces.

Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov informed the envoys of the specifics from the Abu Dhabi talks and stated that Russia and the United States have agreed to maintain trilateral dialogues with Ukraine. A possible large-scale prisoner exchange between the two nations was also discussed, though the details remain to be finalized. Witkoff indicated that a subsequent round of trilateral meetings has been scheduled and pledged to relay the outcomes of the Kremlin meeting to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Ushakov further announced that Vladimir Putin and former U.S. President Donald Trump are set to meet during the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.