Kremlin Talks: U.S. Envoys Brief Putin After Abu Dhabi Stalemate

Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met with President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin on Thursday. The two-hour session served as a direct follow-up to two days of U.S.-mediated negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Abu Dhabi. This was the first time representatives from Moscow and Kyiv had spoken directly in nine months.

The talks in the United Arab Emirates concluded on Wednesday without a major breakthrough. The primary result was an agreement to exchange a large number of prisoners, though the specific figures have not yet been released. Kushner and Witkoff traveled immediately from Abu Dhabi to Moscow to brief the Russian leader on the progress.

The U.S. delegation is now scheduled to fly to Dublin, Ireland, to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The conflict is approaching its five-year mark as diplomatic efforts continue alongside ongoing military operations.

Kushner stated that a key objective of the Kremlin meeting was to secure Putin's approval for European representatives to join the talks. Washington and Kyiv want Europe to appoint a single negotiator to deal with Moscow. Russia has resisted this inclusion, arguing that European nations are financing and supplying Ukraine's military effort. European leaders are concerned about Russia's long-term intentions on the continent.

Kushner told reporters in Moscow that the delegations agreed on many principles but remain divided on the specific methods to achieve peace. Putin reiterated that any European troops deployed to Ukraine after a ceasefire would be 'absolutely unacceptable.' He warned that Russia would view such a deployment as a security threat and a legitimate target, stating, 'In other words, the war would resume immediately.'

Putin also claimed that Russia considers the border with Ukraine to be sealed by a future peace deal at the lines covering the four regions Moscow annexed in 2022. Russia has not fully controlled these areas on the ground, but the annexation is now a central point of the territorial discussion.

In Dublin, Zelenskyy attended a meeting with more than 40 European countries, including NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. Rutte said the U.S., Europe, and Ukraine are 'very much aligned' on the structure of security guarantees. Zelenskyy noted that political shifts, such as Democrats taking control of the U.S. Congress in January and elections in France next year, could create a 'window of opportunity' for a deal. He emphasized that Ukraine would not surrender Russian-occupied territory for peace.

Fighting continues along the 1,200-kilometer front line. Russia's Defense Ministry reported that its air defenses downed 71 Ukrainian drones overnight. Russian forces struck a drone-manufacturing plant in Kyiv and three other facilities producing missile fuel and drone components. The Ukrainian air force said Russia launched missiles and 123 drones, including 73 jet-powered models, resulting in hits at 17 locations.

Zelenskyy reported that Ukraine is facing another slowdown in the Starshield satellite internet service. He said military units recorded disruptions that limited Ukrainian drone speeds to 161 kph. A military investigation determined the restrictions were not random errors. Elon Musk previously acknowledged that SpaceX throttled the service for about a week because it was being used for offensive strikes. Zelenskyy said Kyiv is seeking clarification from U.S. officials on the scope of these limits.

A Russian colonel was killed in St. Petersburg early Thursday when a car bomb exploded as he drove away, according to the Investigative Committee. The Fontanka news outlet identified the victim as a colonel. Moscow has blamed Ukraine for several recent attacks on senior Russian military officers, and Kyiv has claimed responsibility for some of these incidents on Russian soil.