According to American sources relayed to Axios and verified by editors, White House special representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner may return to Kyiv following a series of talks in Abu Dhabi. According to a US official, after the Abu Dhabi meetings, the negotiators may also head to Moscow to speak directly with Vladimir Putin, and to Kyiv to meet with Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Preparation: Daily contacts with both sides
Over the last two weeks, Witkoff and Kushner have held daily phone calls with Russian and Ukrainian officials — sometimes several times a day — to prepare for upcoming negotiations, US officials said. According to the American official, the negotiators have spent weeks working to persuade Putin to resume peace talks, stressing that "the relationships we have built with Putin will play a non-negligible role in these negotiations."
Abu Dhabi: A working platform for November 10–11
As previously reported by Witkoff, the US will act as a mediator for talks between Ukraine and Russia in Abu Dhabi on November 10–11. At the working-level meeting, they are expected to discuss post-war security agreements, de-escalation, and humanitarian issues. This round appears to be the starting point for potential subsequent visits to Moscow and Kyiv.
Hard line on Ukrainian strikes
In parallel with diplomatic preparations, US envoys have relayed tough demands to Kyiv. According to the report, during a conversation with Zelenskyy in Oslo, Jared Kushner insisted on suspending strikes against Russian oil refineries. Previously, Witkoff and Kushner held a series of meetings with Ukrainian, Russian, and European leaders in Oslo and Saint Petersburg.
Context: Postponed visits and asset proposals
Current dynamics fit into the broader October picture. According to Axios, a visit by Witkoff and Kushner to Moscow was postponed at the time until it was clear whether Ukraine and its EU allies were ready to agree to a new peace proposal. The New York Times reported that the US offered to unfreeze billions of dollars in Russian assets blocked in the West to persuade Russia toward a partial ceasefire, while The Kyiv Independent noted that the Russian side requested the lifting of certain sanctions in exchange for an energy truce. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that Russia is ready to listen to Witkoff and Kushner's proposals but has no intention of making political concessions.
Goal: "Crystallizing" decisions
The American official explained that Witkoff and Kushner want to use the upcoming talks to "crystallize" the decisions that Putin and Zelenskyy will have to make. Thus, the visits to Abu Dhabi, and potentially to Moscow and Kyiv, are viewed by Washington as a tool to lock in specific agreements rather than as a formal round of consultations.
