MOSCOW (AP) — U.S. envoys met Thursday with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin and then left for Ireland to talk with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as Washington sought new momentum in its peace efforts.
Envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who is also President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, brokered talks this week between delegations from Moscow and Kyiv. The session in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, brought the first direct discussions between Ukrainian and Russian representatives in nine months as the push for a settlement stalled.
The talks produced no major breakthrough, aside from an agreement to swap a large number of prisoners, with the exact figure still to be announced.
Kushner and Witkoff met with Putin in a meeting that lasted about two hours. They then headed for Dublin for talks with Zelenskyy as the conflict stretches toward the five-year mark.
Europe seeks a place at the negotiating table
Kushner said one of the goals of the meeting with Putin was to get the Russian leader’s blessing for European representatives to be part of the talks, which are looking at the continent’s broader security arrangements.
The U.S. and Zelenskyy want Europe to appoint a single person to negotiate with Moscow.
Russia, meanwhile, doesn’t want European countries involved in the direct negotiations, complaining they are financing and supplying Ukraine’s military effort. The Europeans are concerned about Russia’s conduct and broader intentions on the continent.
But Washington and European capitals have sometimes seemed at odds in their diplomatic efforts. Trump has repeatedly sided with Putin, last month waiving sanctions and striking a deal to import Russian diesel, in moves that dismayed Ukraine and European leaders.