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US envoys meet Putin and Zelensky in push for Ukraine peace deal

Summarised from 15 outlets · 21 reports · Updated 13 Nov, 07:57 · Archive

US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have met Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky to advance peace negotiations following two days of trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi.

US President Donald Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner conducted two days of trilateral negotiations in Abu Dhabi between Russian and Ukrainian delegations, concluding on Wednesday. The talks were the first direct discussions between the two sides in nine months. A large prisoner exchange was agreed, though the exact figure remains to be finalised, but negotiators reported no major breakthrough on ending the nearly five-year war.

Kushner told reporters after the Abu Dhabi talks that the United States had 'narrowed the gaps' between the warring sides, and discussions covered security guarantees for Ukraine and mechanisms for de-escalation after the war. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the talks were 'constructive and quite substantive' and that he was 'happy' with the US mediators' approach. However, both sides remained far apart on major issues, particularly territory.

On Thursday, Witkoff and Kushner travelled to Moscow for a meeting with Putin lasting approximately four and a half hours. According to multiple US and Ukrainian sources, the envoys secured Russian agreement to include European representatives in the next round of peace talks. Kushner stated that this would allow negotiations to address 'broader postwar European security arrangements alongside the territorial issues between Ukraine and Russia'. Witkoff said 'the Europeans will join at the next meeting'.

However, the Kremlin has not publicly confirmed this agreement. A Russian presidential aide said on Friday that 'the position of the Europeans has been comprehensively outlined' but did not explicitly confirm Russian acceptance of European participation. The European Union has long sought a seat at the negotiating table, and EU officials attended the Abu Dhabi talks on the sidelines.

After leaving Moscow, Witkoff and Kushner flew to Dublin, where they met Zelensky on Thursday evening. Zelensky expressed satisfaction that Europe would now have a 'voice' and would not remain 'separately' on the sidelines as in Abu Dhabi. He said Europe's involvement was important because Ukraine is at war in Europe and plans to join the EU. The envoys and Zelensky discussed establishing an agenda focused on de-escalation and potential ceasefires.

Putin used his meeting with the US envoys to reiterate Russian demands. He warned that stationing European peacekeeping troops in Ukraine would constitute a 'continuation of war' and refused to soften his territorial demands, particularly regarding the Donbas region. Zelensky has repeatedly rejected Russian demands for Ukraine to surrender territory as a condition for peace. Putin also told the US envoys that Washington must work with its European allies to determine whether they wanted peace or war in Ukraine.

Kushner said the meetings represented progress toward what he called the war's 'largest prisoner exchange'. The envoys indicated that another round of talks would be scheduled, though no date or location has been announced. The talks come as the conflict approaches the five-year mark of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.

US envoys meet Putin and Zelensky in push for Ukraine peace deal
Image: Euronews

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In this story: Steve Witkoff · Jared Kushner · Vladimir Putin · Volodymyr Zelensky · Donald Trump · Abu Dhabi · Moscow · Dublin

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log