U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoys, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, landed in Moscow on Thursday and met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, arriving just 24 hours after concluding a round of trilateral negotiations in Abu Dhabi aimed at forging a path to end the war in Ukraine.
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Footage broadcast by Russian media showed the two American emissaries being received upon arrival by Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev, who later arrived at Witkoff’s hotel in the Russian capital ahead of the diplomatic sessions.
According to reports, the summit with Putin was scheduled for 12:00 PM local time, after which the American delegation is expected to depart directly for Dublin to hold follow-up talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Ahead of the Kremlin meeting, Kushner said he intends to ask for Putin’s “blessing” to include European representatives in future negotiations, particularly on designing the continent’s postwar security architecture.
However, the American initiative to bring European powers into the negotiating framework faces significant resistance from Moscow, which views European nations’ ongoing military and political support for Kyiv as a primary obstacle to reaching a settlement.🚨🇺🇸🇷🇺 Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are in Moscow today to meet with Vladimir Putin – marking Witkoff’s 10th visit to Russia. https://t.co/3w2GuoVnXQ
— C14 News | EN (@c14english) November 12, 2026
Vladimir Medinsky, who led the Russian delegation during the Abu Dhabi talks, said the negotiating sides had “moved closer to achieving peace,” but emphasized that forward momentum now hinges on Kyiv, Washington’s stance, and “whether Europe comes to its senses.”
Parallel to the high-stakes diplomacy unfolding in Moscow, President Zelensky issued an urgent warning regarding renewed, “systematic” restrictions affecting Elon Musk’s Starshield satellite internet service—a militarized communications network essential to Ukrainian command and control on the frontlines.
According to Zelensky, the speed restrictions imposed on the satellite terminals are actively hampering his forces’ ability to track and intercept incoming Russian drones.
“This helps the Russians kill more Ukrainians and carry out more accurate strikes,” Zelensky stated in an official address.