US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Dublin after holding talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. The meeting with Putin focused on the latest round of negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.
“I think progress was made. I think it was made earlier today,” Witkoff told CNN at Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport. According to him, the parties had managed to revive the trilateral format and had set a date for a new meeting.
“That’s what President Trump wants to see,” Witkoff said.He confirmed that European representatives would also take part in the next talks. “They are our partners and it is important that they be included,” the US envoy said.
Talks in Abu Dhabi fail to produce a breakthrough
The meeting in Moscow followed two days of negotiations between Russian, Ukrainian and US representatives in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. It was the first such format since February. Kyiv reported progress on some issues, but the talks ended without a clear decision.
Kushner described the talks with Putin as detailed and comprehensive. In his view, they could serve as the basis for the next multilateral discussions. Kushner, who is the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, took part in the diplomatic mission despite not holding an official position in the administration.
During the meeting, Putin said that Russia had not opposed dialogue with Europe. “I want this peace to be eternal, forever,” the Russian president said.
Moscow, however, has so far shown reservations about the direct participation of European countries in the negotiations. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov described the presence of European representatives in Abu Dhabi as an approach that offered poor prospects. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that no contacts between the Russian side and representatives of the European Union had been planned or had taken place in Abu Dhabi.
Diplomacy amid new attacks
Zelensky is taking part in the European Political Community meeting in Dublin, where the talks in Abu Dhabi and the possibility of new sanctions against Russia were discussed. He is expected to be briefed by Witkoff and Kushner on their talks with Putin and on the proposals discussed in Moscow.
Alongside the diplomatic efforts, Ukraine reported new Russian strikes. The Ukrainian Air Force said that Russia had launched a ballistic missile and drones overnight into Thursday. At least one person was killed and several others were injured in a drone attack on Kyiv.
Zelensky also reported new problems with Starshield—the military version of the Starlink satellite service used by Ukrainian forces. According to him, there had been “significant outages” in recent days, making it more difficult to shoot down Russian jet-powered drones.
“These are not random errors, but systematic speed restrictions,” Zelensky said. According to him, they facilitate Russian attacks and lead to more accurate strikes against Ukraine.The next round of negotiations is to include the United States, Russia, Ukraine and European representatives, but its specific date and location have not yet been announced.
Sources: edition.cnn.com