Witkoff and Kushner Head to Moscow to See Putin on Nov 12, Followed by Zelensky in Dublin

Following the second day of trilateral negotiations in Abu Dhabi, US Presidential Special Envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff announced the next steps on the diplomatic track: on November 12, they will travel to Moscow for a meeting with Vladimir Putin, followed by talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Dublin. Kushner announced this at a press conference following the consultations, emphasizing that the sides see "certain opportunities and prospects" for further progress.

Visit Schedule: Moscow First, Then Dublin

"Tomorrow, Witkoff and I will head to Moscow to meet with Putin and discuss what was talked about today, and try to make further progress. We see certain opportunities and prospects," Kushner said. David Arakhamia, a member of the Ukrainian negotiating delegation, added that after the visit to Moscow and the subsequent meeting with Zelensky in Dublin, it would be appropriate to set a date for a new round of negotiations. According to him, the parties have "good momentum to find a solution before the new year."

What Was Discussed in Abu Dhabi

On November 11, the second day of negotiations between Ukraine, the US, and Russia on conflict settlement took place in Abu Dhabi. According to RBC-Ukraine sources, the main topics of the first day were the future security architecture and security guarantees for Europe, Ukraine, and Russia, as well as the possibility of a major prisoner exchange. The Russian delegation stated after the meeting that the topic of the European security system was central and that the sides managed to reach mutual understanding on a number of issues.

"Cautious Optimism" in Washington

Axios previously reported that the White House views the resumption of peace talks with "cautious optimism." According to a source, Witkoff and Kushner spent weeks working to persuade Putin to return to the negotiating table, communicating daily—sometimes multiple times a day—with Russian and Ukrainian officials. Washington hopes that following the US lifting of sanctions on the sale of Russian diesel fuel and a number of other measures, Moscow will become more amenable to compromise. At the same time, according to US sources, the parties' positions still diverge significantly, particularly regarding potential territorial concessions by Ukraine.

Prospects and Sequence of Steps

The announced sequence—Moscow, then Dublin, and after that a new round of talks—indicates an attempt by the parties to lock in the momentum achieved in Abu Dhabi and translate it into concrete agreements before the end of the year. The security architecture guarantees and the issue of territorial concessions are cited as the key remaining bottlenecks, on which, sources emphasize, a consensus has not yet been reached. The outcomes of the Moscow and Dublin meetings will essentially determine whether a new round will take place and in what format.