United States envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff landed in Moscow on Thursday to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, continuing the U.S. effort to secure a lasting peace in Ukraine. The arrival follows a two‑day trilateral summit in Abu Dhabi where Russia, Ukraine and the United States discussed a prisoner exchange, though no decisive breakthrough was achieved.
Upon arrival, Kushner and Witkoff were greeted by Kirill Dmitriev, Putin’s special envoy, who escorted them to central Moscow for the talks. The U.S. delegation intends to present an updated peace proposal to Putin and to persuade him to open the negotiation process to European partners, a move that Moscow has resisted.
European leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and NATO Secretary‑General Jens Stoltenberg, convened in Dublin on the same day for the European Political Community summit. The gathering aimed to reinforce the continent’s security stance and to coordinate responses to the conflict.
While the U.S. and Russia have made some progress on post‑war security guarantees, key differences remain, particularly over territorial issues. Kyiv has firmly rejected Russia’s demand that it surrender the Donbas region in exchange for peace.
Ukrainian journalists report growing skepticism among the public. “The talks in Moscow are unlikely to bring results,” said Audrey Macalpine from Kyiv. “We have seen another prisoner exchange, but nothing has changed in the positions of the parties.”
French Minister for European Affairs Benjamin Haddad announced that the European Union would consider additional sanctions against Russia in the coming week, signaling continued pressure on Moscow while diplomatic efforts persist.
Source: Al Jazeera
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