US envoys arrive in Moscow to meet Putin
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Al Jazeera
Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow to meet Vladimir Putin and revive negotiations over the war in Ukraine. Their trip comes after two days of talks in Abu Dhabi, which made progress on a prisoner exchange but produced no peace deal, according to Al Jazeera.
US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow on Thursday for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on a peace deal in Ukraine. Kirill Dmitriev, Vladimir Putin’s special envoy, welcomed them on their arrival and accompanied them towards central Moscow, according to Al Jazeera.
The meeting comes after two days of trilateral negotiations between Russia, Ukraine and the United States in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, which ended on Wednesday without progress towards ending the war. The talks nevertheless helped prepare a new major prisoner exchange, while the United States reported progress on security guarantees for the post-war period. Differences remain focused in particular on the territorial issue, as Ukraine rejects Russian demands concerning Donbas, according to Al Jazeera.
The US delegation is notably due to try to persuade Vladimir Putin to involve the Europeans in the negotiation process. According to Al Jazeera journalist Yulia Shapovalova, Washington and Kyiv want their participation, while Moscow opposes it. The US envoys are also due to present Vladimir Putin with an updated peace plan proposal.
The visit comes as more than 40 European leaders gather in Dublin for a summit of the European Political Community devoted to the security of the continent. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte are taking part in the meeting, according to Al Jazeera. It comes the day after Moscow’s position on the talks on Ukraine.
