US envoys arrive in Moscow for Ukraine talks with Vladimir Putin

What the report says

US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow on Thursday for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the war in Ukraine, according to BBC World News. Russian media footage showed them being greeted by Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev before the planned meeting, which comes after recent negotiations in Abu Dhabi that were described as focused on future European security arrangements.

The BBC reported that the Americans were expected to meet Putin before traveling to Dublin later the same day for discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Kushner had said earlier in the week that the US had seen “openings” and wanted to make progress. The article said the latest diplomatic push follows years of stalled efforts to narrow the gaps between Moscow and Kyiv.

The report says Russia continues to press demands that would leave it with control over Ukrainian territory and resist Western security guarantees for Kyiv. It also noted that European governments have become increasingly concerned about being left out of the talks and want a role in any future settlement. Kushner said he would ask Putin to consider involving European representatives in later discussions, though Russian officials have opposed that idea.

The BBC also reported that, as the Moscow meeting was under way, Zelensky said Ukraine was facing disruptions to Starshield satellite internet service used by its forces. That claim, which Elon Musk denied had been intentional, underscored the continuing battlefield and communications pressures as diplomacy continued.