Trump Envoys Meet Putin After Abu Dhabi Peace Talks Stall
Donald Trump's envoys met with Vladimir Putin in Moscow following a deadlock in Abu Dhabi over territorial claims and security guarantees for Ukraine.
Trilateral peace talks between Russia, Ukraine, and the United States in Abu Dhabi ended on November 11 without a comprehensive agreement to end the war. While the parties reached an agreement in principle for a large-scale prisoner exchange potentially involving over 1,000 prisoners per side, they remained deadlocked over territorial claims in the Donbas and Ukraine's future security guarantees.
Following the stalemate, Donald Trump dispatched envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff to the Kremlin on Thursday to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. During these discussions, Putin maintained hardline positions, ruling out foreign peacekeeping troops in Ukraine and demanding control over annexed territories. He also proposed a joint humanitarian mission to the disputed city of Kostiantynivka.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, speaking from Dublin, rejected demands to cede territory and expressed skepticism toward the U.S. strategy of discussing a new European security architecture with Russia. Despite the diplomatic efforts, military escalation has intensified, with Russia striking Ukrainian energy infrastructure and Kyiv targeting Russian oil refineries and the port of Ust-Luga.
Steve Witkoff announced that European representatives will join the next round of negotiations. President Trump and President Putin are expected to discuss the conflict further at the upcoming APEC summit in China later this month.
