Putin meeting with US envoys: Key points from opening exchanges

Presidential aides Vladimir Medinsky and Yury Ushakov, along with Putin’s investment envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, are also attending the meeting. RT details the opening exchanges between the two sides, before the talks entered the closex session.

Building on these humanitarian efforts, Putin proposed a mission to evacuate civilians from Konstantinovka, modeled on the recent operation in Alyoshki. He suggested that the Russian and Ukrainian human rights commissioners organize it.

Putin said Russian forces control Konstantinovka and could ensure the mission’s safety, but would need five days to clear mines in the area. If Kiev maintains that it controls the city, it should guarantee security from its side, he added.

The discussion also touched on the role of Kiev's Western European backers in a peace process. Witkoff said European representatives were not at the negotiating table in Abu Dhabi but were briefed on the talks.

Kushner said European governments expressed a desire to take part in negotiations and end the conflict, adding that Washington has begun discussing the continent’s security arrangements with them.

European representatives remained outside the trilateral meetings, consulting separately with the US and Ukrainian teams. Kushner has argued that the Europeans must be involved in the process, while suggesting that they should select a single representative.

Ushakov said on Thursday that Europe has yet to agree on a suitable negotiator. Moscow has stated that it is willing to consider concrete European peace proposals but has received none.

The US envoys arrived in Moscow on Thursday morning and were met at Vnukovo Airport by Dmitriev. Asked about their mood, he described it as positive.

Medinsky also announced an agreement in principle on a large-scale prisoner exchange. Kushner and Ukrainian negotiator Rustem Umerov confirmed the agreement. The US envoy said the numbers will be finalized on Thursday.

Territory remains a major obstacle. Medinsky told RT that “every inch of our land will be returned to Russia, one way or another.” Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky, however, has rejected the idea of withdrawing Ukrainian forces from Donbass. Kushner described the territorial question as the hardest issue to resolve.

Kushner previously said he and Witkoff would travel to Dublin after their trip to Moscow to brief Zelensky.