Ukraine Warupdated 25m ago2 min read
Archive photo · 28 May 2012Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner Arrive in Moscow to Meet Vladimir Putin
8 West Asian6 Western MainstreamPhoto: A.Savin, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Cropped for layout
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Kushner and Witkoff arrived in Moscow to meet Putin on Ukraine peace talks. They were greeted by Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev and traveled to central Moscow for discussions.
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Envoys head to Putin
US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner arrived in Moscow on Thursday to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin after two days of trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi that produced no major diplomatic breakthrough. The parties agreed a new prisoner exchange deal, described by Kushner as the largest of the war to date, and discussed security guarantees for Ukraine and broader European security arrangements. The envoys were due to meet Putin at 12:00 local time (09:00 GMT) before flying to Dublin to speak to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Kushner said in a post to X on Wednesday that the prisoner exchange "will reunite families, build trust, and create momentum toward peace," and he added that the discussions were "serious, detailed, and frank." Kirill Dmitriev met Kushner and Witkoff at their plane on Thursday morning and accompanied them to central Moscow as the US pushed for a peace deal with Putin.
Europe, drones, and Starshield
The US team aimed to persuade Putin to invite Europeans into the negotiation process, while Moscow was described as adamant about talks without the Europeans. Kushner said he and Witkoff would ask Putin to "give his blessing" to invite European representatives in future discussions, particularly for the future configuration of Europe’s security architecture. Ukraine’s military said Russia launched 123 drones, of which 73 were jet powered, and the air force reported defenders intercepted or suppressed 89 drones, of which 51 were jet powered, plus five Banderol missiles.
Zelenskyy said in a post to Telegram that Ukrainian forces had recorded "significant disruptions" and 100 mile per hour speed restrictions in the operation of the military-grade Starshield satellite network for several days along the entire frontline and in Russian-occupied Ukraine. Zelensky posted on X that the restrictions were "systematic speed restrictions" and that "This is helping the Russians kill more Ukrainians and carry out more accurate strikes against Ukraine."
What comes after Moscow
Kushner and Witkoff were scheduled to meet Zelenskyy in Dublin on Friday after talking to Putin, as European leaders gathered in Dublin for the European Political Community summit focused on the continent’s security. Zelenskyy arrived in Dublin on Wednesday following a visit to Denmark, and negotiations were described as still far apart on issues including the fate of Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory and security guarantees from foreign partners. Zelensky said Ukraine’s military faced new "systematic" restrictions to Starshield over the territory of Ukraine for several days, and he quoted Zelensky adding that "Unfortunately, this is helping the Russians kill more Ukrainians."
Zelensky welcomed what he called a "change in tone" from the United States regarding the possibility of involving Europe in the talks, while NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said the negotiations in the UAE showed the United States, Ukraine, and Europe were "fully aligned and united." Moscow showed no sign of backing down from maximalist demands for sovereign Ukrainian territory and for Western countries to give up any future commitment to protecting Kyiv in case of further attacks, even as the prisoner exchange plan moved forward.
