US Diplomats in Moscow: Witkoff and Kushner Meet Putin for Tenth Time
The envoys arrive in Russia after Abu Dhabi talks fail to produce a peace breakthrough, with Ukraine facing its fifth winter of war.
By Mariam Saleh ·
US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner landed in Moscow on November 12 to hold a face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. This visit marks the tenth time Witkoff has traveled to Russia to discuss the war in Ukraine since Donald Trump made the conflict a central foreign policy priority in 2025. The diplomats were greeted at Vnukovo Airport by Kirill Dmitriev, a senior Russian official who has been involved in negotiations with Washington.
The trip follows two days of trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi that concluded on November 11 without a major breakthrough. While the discussions in the United Arab Emirates resulted in plans for a large-scale prisoner exchange, US officials described the negotiations as tough but productive. Moscow and Kyiv remained far apart on core issues, with the Kremlin refusing to compromise on its hard-line demands. There was no indication of a path to a comprehensive peace agreement during the Abu Dhabi session.
The primary point of contention remains territorial control. Vladimir Medinsky, Russia's chief negotiator, stated that exchanging territory as part of a settlement was out of the question. The Kremlin has long demanded full control over Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, an area Russian forces have not fully captured on the battlefield. This issue is widely viewed as the central obstacle to ending the war. Ukraine enters its fifth winter of conflict with thousands of residents left without electricity or heating due to sustained Russian strikes.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is in Dublin for a meeting of European leaders, expressed hope for concrete results by the end of the year. He noted that progress depends heavily on how the United States interacts with Moscow. "We are living through these massive attacks," Zelenskyy said. "Of course, we want to get results by the end of this year, and of course, we will be doing everything to make that happen." After their meeting with Putin, Witkoff and Kushner are expected to fly to Dublin to meet with Zelenskyy.
The current US administration has adopted a more conciliatory stance toward Russia compared to previous years. Recent moves include easing sanctions and striking a diesel fuel deal with Moscow. The US has also pressed Kyiv to refrain from attacking Russian oil refineries. During Witkoff's previous meeting with Putin in October, he referred to the Russian leader as a "humanitarian" following the release of US citizen Stephen Hubbard from Russian prison.
Combat operations continued on November 12 while the diplomatic efforts proceeded. Russia and Ukraine exchanged new drone and missile attacks. In Kyiv, officials reported at least one fatality from the strikes. Another person was killed in the southern Kherson region. Civilian and energy infrastructure in the western Rivne region sustained damage. Russian authorities reported intercepting drones targeting Moscow and several other regions, including Rostov and Tula. The fighting showed no signs of slowing during the envoys' arrival.
