Moscow [Russia], November 13 (ANI): US President Donald Trump's Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are heading to Ireland to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after holding talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on efforts to end the Ukraine conflict.
The meeting at the Kremlin followed two days of negotiations between Russian, Ukrainian and US representatives in Abu Dhabi, which concluded without a breakthrough but saw progress on certain issues, including preparations for a prisoner exchange.
Speaking to CNN at Vnukovo Airport before leaving Moscow, Witkoff expressed optimism over the discussions and confirmed that trilateral negotiations involving Russia, Ukraine and the United States had resumed.
"I think progress was made. I think it was made earlier today," Witkoff told CNN. "People didn't think that we were going to restart trilateral. We've restarted it. We've set a new meeting."
"This is what President Trump wants to see," he added.
Witkoff also indicated that European representatives could participate in the upcoming discussions, stressing their importance as partners in the peace process.
"They're our partners, and it's important for them to be involved," he said, as quoted by CNN.
Kushner described the Moscow discussions as comprehensive and said their outcome could help shape the next round of multilateral negotiations.
"I think overall, (we've had) very fulsome and detailed discussions on all the topics, which I think will inform hopefully the next multilateral discussions," he said.
According to a statement issued by the Kremlin, Putin thanked the US envoys for their efforts and asked them to convey his gratitude to Trump for facilitating contacts with Ukraine.
He also highlighted progress on humanitarian issues, particularly the exchange of detainees between the two sides.
Witkoff told Putin that Trump considered ending the conflict as quickly as possible a priority.
"President Trump, of course, supports what we are sharing with you here today. He believes, and asked us to convey to you, that it is crucial to end this conflict as quickly as possible," Witkoff said, according to the Kremlin statement.
He also described the Abu Dhabi negotiations as positive, saying Russian and Ukrainian representatives had engaged directly in discussions on detailed issues and possible solutions.
Kushner said representatives from Russia, Ukraine and Europe had expressed a desire to end the conflict during the Abu Dhabi discussions, although they had yet to agree on all the necessary steps.
The US envoys are expected to brief Zelenskyy on the outcome of their Moscow meeting during their scheduled engagement in Ireland.
"We will inform him of the results we managed to achieve during this meeting, and we will also try to convince him that we need to follow one of the chosen paths to successfully resolve this conflict," Kushner said.
He further called for a broader diplomatic framework involving Russia, Ukraine, the United States and European countries, including security arrangements to prevent another conflict.
However, territorial disagreements remain a major obstacle. During the Kremlin meeting, Putin reiterated Moscow's position against arrangements involving so-called "grey zones", arguing that a clear state border was necessary for a lasting settlement.
Putin also reiterated Russia's opposition to the deployment of foreign troops on Ukrainian territory following a potential peace agreement.
"The presence of any foreign troops on Ukrainian territory is absolutely unacceptable to us," Putin said.
Meanwhile, Russian Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov confirmed that trilateral negotiations would continue but appeared to play down the possibility of European representatives joining the negotiating table.
"They are making every effort to get involved in the negotiations, but, as our president has said, they need to decide whether they want peace or a continuation of the war. So far, all their practical actions point precisely to the latter," Ushakov said, as quoted by CNN.
The Abu Dhabi discussions, the first trilateral talks of their kind since February, ended without a clear resolution, although Kyiv acknowledged progress on some issues.
The upcoming meeting with Zelenskyy is expected to provide the Ukrainian President with an assessment of the Moscow discussions and explore possible next steps towards a negotiated settlement. (ANI)
Witkoff, Kushner head to meet Zelenskyy after talks with Putin in Moscow on Ukraine peace deal
