Putin Meets US Envoy as Ukraine Talks Narrow to Territory

Russian President Vladimir Putin met a U.S. delegation in Moscow for extended talks on ending the war in Ukraine, with both sides signaling that negotiations have reached a critical stage focused on territorial questions.

Extended Talks in Moscow

The Kremlin said talks between Putin and the U.S. delegation led by Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and including U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner lasted more than three hours and stretched into the early hours of Friday, ending after 3 a.m. local time.

“Exceptionally Frank” Discussions

Kremlin Foreign Policy Aide Yury Ushakov described the latest talks as “exceprionally substantive, constructive and extremely frank and confidential.” In a post on X, Krill Dmitriev, head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, also characterized the discussions as “important.”

Ushakov said Putin empahasized that Russia is “sincerely interested in resolving the Ukrainian crisis through political and diplomatic methods.”

Territory Central to Any Settlement

Despite the diplomatic tone, the Kremlin made clear that territorial issues remain the main obstacle to a lasting agreement. Ushakov said Putin told U.S. negotiators that a “long term settlement” would not be possible without first resolving territorial questions based on a formula previously discussed in Anchorage.

Until such issues are addressed, Ushakov added, Russia will continue to pursue its objectives “on the battlefield,” where he said Russian forces currently hold the strategic initiative.

Witkoff: Talks Reduced to One Issue

Hours before flying to Moscow, Witkoff said progress had been made in negotiations, describing them as having been reduced to “one issue.” Speaking at an event on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, he said the narrowing of focus meant a solution was achievable.

“I think we’ve got it down to one issue, and we have discussed iterations of that issue, and that means it’s solvable,” Witkoff said. A European official later confirmed that the remaining issue he referred to was territory.

Trilateral Talks Set for Abu Dhabi

In a related development, the Kremlin announced that representatives from Russia, the United States and Ukraine will meet Friday in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, for the first trilateral talks focused on security issues since the war began. The working group on security matters was agreed upon during the latest Moscow meeting.

This three way meeting, confirmed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, is scheduled to span two days and marks a significant diplomatic step as efforts continue to find a pathway toward ending the conflict.