US envoys Kushner and Witkoff to meet Putin in Moscow on Thursday

In brief

• US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff plan to meet Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Thursday.
• They want European states included in future peace talks on ending the war in Ukraine.
• Russia has confirmed a planned exchange of prisoners of war.

A shuttle trip after Abu Dhabi talks

Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of President Donald Trump, and Steve Witkoff, another special envoy of the president, intend to meet Putin in Moscow on Thursday (Ukraine-Verhandlungen: US-Unterhändler wollen Putin am Donnerstag in Moskau treffen – ZEIT ONLINE). The visit follows three-way talks in Abu Dhabi between the United States, Ukraine and Russia, in which both envoys took part (Pendeldiplomatie - US-Unterhändler reisen zu Kremlchef Putin in Moskau – Deutschlandfunk).

Push for a European seat at the table

Kushner said after the Abu Dhabi round that the European Union and NATO must be an integral part of any negotiations over ending the war. The envoys plan to argue this case directly to Putin. Moscow had so far resisted European involvement but has recently signalled more openness, and has floated a new security order for Europe.

Prisoner exchange and next steps

Russia has confirmed a planned exchange of prisoners of war, according to reports from the talks. After the Moscow meeting, Witkoff and Kushner intend to brief Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the outcome of their trip.

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