U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow before travelling to Dublin for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday, as Washington sought to revive negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. The meetings produced plans for another negotiating round involving Europe, but no major breakthrough on a settlement, according to the Associated Press.
The push followed talks in Abu Dhabi between Russian and Ukrainian delegations, their first direct discussions in nine months. Those negotiations yielded an agreement on a large prisoner exchange, although the number of people involved had not been announced.
Europe expected to join the next round
Witkoff said another round had been agreed and that European representatives would join, without identifying the countries or providing a date or venue. Zelenskyy said Europe would participate directly in the negotiations rather than hold separate discussions on the sidelines.
Washington and Kyiv want Europe to appoint a single representative to negotiate with Moscow. Russia has opposed European involvement in direct negotiations, arguing that European governments finance and supply Ukraine’s military. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Europe would first need to name a representative.
Putin rejects European troops in Ukraine
Putin reiterated that deploying European troops to Ukraine after a ceasefire would be unacceptable to Moscow. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov described the discussions as substantive and constructive, and said Putin revisited Moscow’s 2021 proposals demanding a rollback of NATO deployments in Central and Eastern Europe.
Putin also maintained Russia’s territorial claim to the four Ukrainian regions Moscow declared annexed in 2022, despite never fully controlling them. That position remains a major obstacle to an agreement.
Zelenskyy seeks European support
Zelenskyy was in Dublin for a gathering involving more than 40 European countries and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. Rutte said the United States, Europe and Ukraine were closely aligned on the shape of security guarantees, but stressed that a peace agreement, or at least a ceasefire, was still needed.
Fighting continues
Russia’s Defence Ministry said its air defences intercepted 71 Ukrainian drones overnight. Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched missiles and 123 drones, with strikes recorded at 17 locations. These were statements from the respective military authorities.
Zelenskyy also reported disruptions to Ukraine’s access to SpaceX’s Starshield service and said Kyiv was seeking an explanation from U.S. officials.
What happens next
The next round is expected to bring European representatives into the main discussions, but participants, timing and location remain unspecified. Details of the prisoner exchange have also yet to be announced.
