United States President Donald Trump’s special envoys have met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow as Washington intensifies diplomatic efforts to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine.
The meeting, held on Thursday, November 12, 2026, brought together US special envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and Putin at the Kremlin. The discussions lasted approximately two hours before the American delegation travelled to Dublin, Ireland, for a scheduled meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The Moscow meeting followed two days of US-mediated negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The discussions, which concluded on Wednesday, were the first direct negotiations between representatives of the two countries in nine months.
Although the talks did not produce a major breakthrough towards ending the conflict, both sides reportedly agreed in principle to a large prisoner exchange. The exact number of prisoners involved had not yet been announced.
The American envoys were involved in facilitating the Abu Dhabi negotiations and subsequently travelled to Moscow to brief Putin on the discussions and explore possible ways forward.
One of the major issues discussed in Moscow was the possible involvement of European countries in future peace negotiations.
Kushner indicated that Washington and Kyiv wanted European representatives to participate in discussions about the continent’s broader security arrangements. The United States and Ukraine have also proposed that European countries appoint a single representative to participate in negotiations with Moscow.
However, Russia has opposed direct European involvement, arguing that European governments are supporting Ukraine through military assistance and financial contributions.
Putin also reiterated his opposition to the deployment of European troops in Ukraine following any potential ceasefire. He warned that Russia would consider such a deployment a security threat and could treat the troops as legitimate military targets.
Following their discussions with Putin, Witkoff and Kushner headed to Dublin to meet Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the European Political Community summit.
The Ukrainian president is attending the gathering alongside European leaders, including NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. The meeting provides an opportunity to discuss the latest negotiations and the role European countries should play in determining Ukraine’s future security arrangements.
Zelenskyy has welcomed efforts to involve European representatives in the negotiations, insisting that decisions concerning Europe’s security must include European countries.
However, he has maintained that Ukraine will not surrender territories currently occupied by Russia as part of a potential peace agreement.
The diplomatic engagements come as fighting continues along the front lines, with Russian missile and drone attacks targeting Ukrainian infrastructure. Ukraine is also preparing for another difficult winter amid concerns about electricity, heating and water supplies.
Despite renewed diplomatic activity, major disagreements remain over territorial control, security guarantees and the future relationship between Russia, Ukraine and NATO.
The meetings in Moscow and Dublin are therefore being closely watched for signs that the latest US-led initiative could produce meaningful progress towards ending the conflict, which is approaching its fifth year.
Swifteradio.com
