US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner may visit Russia following the upcoming trilateral talks between Washington, Moscow and Kyiv in Abu Dhabi. The two may meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Reuters reported, citing a US official.
“The US envoys may meet with Putin in Russia after the talks in Abu Dhabi,” the official said, as quoted by the agency. He did not specify a date for the possible trip, and the information does not constitute official confirmation that a meeting will take place.
Talks to Begin on November 10
The US will bring together Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Abu Dhabi on November 10 and 11. The main topics will be ending the war, security guarantees after its conclusion and ways to ease tensions.
Witkoff and Kushner are expected to represent the US side. Before the trilateral meetings begin, they plan to hold consultations with representatives of Ukraine, the European Union, NATO, Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Italy.
According to Reuters, Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to a new round of talks after meeting with Witkoff in St. Petersburg. The upcoming talks will be the first in a trilateral format between the US, Russia and Ukraine since February.
Meeting with Putin Remains a Possibility
A possible visit by Witkoff and Kushner to Russia would continue a series of direct contacts between US officials and the Russian leadership. The two have already taken part in talks with Putin as part of the diplomatic efforts by Donald Trump's administration to end the war in Ukraine.
For now, there is no information on whether a meeting with Putin will be included in the official schedule following the talks in Abu Dhabi. It is also unclear whether the visit would take place in Moscow or elsewhere in Russia.
The trilateral negotiations will take place against the backdrop of ongoing disagreements between Moscow and Kyiv over territories, security guarantees and the terms for ending the hostilities. The US side is presenting the meetings as an attempt to find practical solutions, but no concrete breakthrough or agreement has yet been announced.
Sources: investing.com, apnews.com