US envoys Witkoff and Kushner meet Putin in Moscow after Abu Dhabi talks

US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Thursday, November 12, 2026, a day after trilateral talks between Russia, Ukraine and the United States ended in Abu Dhabi, according to Reuters and Politico, both citing the Russian news agency Interfax.

The envoys travelled to Moscow from Abu Dhabi, where the three delegations met on Tuesday and Wednesday. Those talks produced agreement on a large prisoner exchange but no breakthrough on ending the war, as Comlumen reported on Wednesday.

Europe's role in the talks

Kushner said before the meeting that he and Witkoff intended to press Putin to give Europe a place at the negotiating table, Politico reported. European Union representatives were in Abu Dhabi but did not negotiate directly.

Reuters, citing Interfax, reported that Kushner told Putin "Americans can see that the Europeans are expressing a desire to take part in negotiations". Politico quoted him as saying, "We see certain shifts on the European side," and that "we will be able to successfully resolve this conflict."

Putin told the envoys that Russia had never refused to talk to Europe, according to Politico, which cited the Russian state news agency TASS. Politico reported that Putin said the Europeans "ceased the dialogue with Russia" and that they needed to "figure out" whether they "want peace or war."

Meduza, citing Axios, reported that the envoys planned to ask Russia to set out its vision for European security, and that they had proposed widening the format so European representatives could join the trilateral talks. Finnish President Alexander Stubb has announced a technical meeting that would include Ukraine, Russia, the United States and Europe in the coming weeks, Meduza reported. Who would represent Europe has not been settled.

Positions stated

Putin said there is only one demarcation line with Ukraine, the state border, and that "the presence of foreign troops in Ukraine is unacceptable," Reuters reported, citing Interfax.

Witkoff said the prisoner exchange agreed in Abu Dhabi showed progress, according to both Reuters and Politico. Politico quoted him as saying: "I believe this is an indication that we are making progress in resolving this conflict."

Politico reported, citing TASS, that Putin proposed a humanitarian operation in Kostiantynivka, a town in eastern Ukraine that he said Russia controls. That claim could not be independently confirmed. Politico also reported that the sides discussed a proposed prisoner exchange without giving details.

Reactions

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said on Thursday that the Abu Dhabi talks had produced positive developments but that Russia's intentions remained unclear. "It all depends on the Russians, whether they are willing to play ball," he said, according to Reuters. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said it was too soon to say trust had been restored between Russia and Ukraine, Reuters reported, citing Interfax.

Speaking at the European Political Community summit in Dublin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described Washington's approach of discussing a new security order with Russia as "a bit strange," Reuters reported. Meduza reported that Zelensky said he was sceptical the Americans would return with "something concrete."

What comes next

Witkoff said he and Kushner would travel to Dublin to brief Zelensky on the Kremlin talks, according to Politico. Reuters reported that Zelensky said he expected to meet the US negotiators later on Thursday. No outcome of that meeting had been reported at the time of writing.

On the same day, a Russian drone struck an apartment building in Kyiv, killing one woman, Meduza and Reuters reported.