Less than a day after U.S.-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi wrapped up, President Trump’s envoys are heading straight to the Kremlin. Special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are scheduled to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Thursday morning, November 12, and then fly to Dublin, Ireland, to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to the Associated Press, the Kyiv Post and Meduza.
The back-to-back meetings are the newest step in a diplomatic push that produced a large prisoner-of-war exchange agreement this week but no breakthrough on ending the war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly five years ago.
What was announced Wednesday
Kushner told reporters at a press conference in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday that the two envoys would review the Abu Dhabi discussions with Putin and try to make further progress, then hold talks with Zelensky, the Kyiv Post reported. Putin’s foreign policy aide, Yuri Ushakov, confirmed the Thursday morning meeting, Meduza reported, citing the Russian newspaper Kommersant.
Ushakov signaled that Moscow had not yet been briefed in detail on the outcome in the Emirati capital.
“We don’t yet know the results of the talks in Abu Dhabi. But they’re bringing something.” — Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, as reported by Meduza
Zelensky said he would meet Kushner and Witkoff in Dublin on November 12, according to Meduza.
Where the Abu Dhabi talks left things
As Upstormed News reported this morning, the Abu Dhabi talks ended with a record prisoner swap deal but no ceasefire. The two days of talks were the first meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations in about nine months, and expectations going in were low, the AP reported.
Russian delegation head Vladimir Medinsky and Ukrainian delegation head Rustem Umerov both confirmed the prisoner exchange, with Medinsky describing the agreement as one “in principle,” according to the AP. Kushner said the final numbers would be worked out the following day. He was also candid about the mood in the room, telling reporters, “there’s no trust right now between the sides.”
The first day focused on future security arrangements and guarantees for Europe, Ukraine and Russia, the Kyiv Post reported. Witkoff described the sessions as working-level negotiations covering post-war security, de-escalation, humanitarian steps and ending the war.
The sticking points
Both sides offered cautious optimism in public, but the core disputes remain unresolved. Based on the AP and Kyiv Post reports, the main gaps include:
- Territory: There has been no breakthrough on Russian-occupied Ukrainian land. Kyiv has rejected a U.S. proposal to redraw the border in the eastern Donbas region, while Russia’s chief negotiator vowed to reclaim territory Moscow claims as its own.
- Security guarantees: Ukraine wants firm assurances against another invasion. EU officials say talks on security can only begin after a ceasefire.
- NATO and Europe: Russia wants NATO to pull troops back from its borders and opposes European involvement in direct negotiations, though Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Europeans could eventually join.
- De-escalation proposals: Kushner said Moscow was told it must offer different de-escalation ideas for them to be acceptable to Europe.
Still, negotiators struck a cautiously hopeful tone. Medinsky said the sides had moved closer to peace, and Ukrainian negotiator Davyd Arakhamia said there was good momentum toward an agreement by the New Year, according to Meduza. Arakhamia told the Kyiv Post that a date for the next round should be set after the envoys’ meetings in Moscow and Dublin.
Why this trip matters
Shuttle diplomacy like this is how negotiators test whether a deal is possible before the parties sit down together again. By seeing Putin and Zelensky on the same day, the U.S. envoys can carry each side’s latest positions directly to the other and try to narrow the gaps on security and territory while the prisoner exchange builds a measure of goodwill.
The diplomacy comes during a busy week for world leaders, who are also gathering for the COP31 climate summit in Türkiye.
Why it matters for families
For thousands of Ukrainian and Russian families, the prisoner exchange could mean a loved one coming home. More broadly, the war has affected energy prices, food markets and security spending around the world, so any real movement toward peace could eventually be felt far from the front lines.
What to watch next
- Any statement from the Kremlin or the White House after Thursday morning’s meeting with Putin.
- The outcome of the Dublin meeting with Zelensky.
- Final numbers and timing for the prisoner exchange.
- Whether a date is set for another round of three-way talks.
This is a developing story, and Upstormed News will follow it.
Read more: Ukraine, Russia Reportedly Agree on Big Prisoner Swap as Abu Dhabi Talks Go to Day Two
Do you think face-to-face meetings with Putin and Zelensky can move peace talks forward?
Sources: Associated Press via The Washington Sun, “Kushner and Witkoff to Meet With Putin in Moscow” (November 11, 2026); Kyiv Post, “Witkoff, Kushner to Meet Putin in Moscow After Abu Dhabi Talks” (November 11, 2026); Meduza, “‘They’re bringing something’: Kushner and Witkoff to meet Putin in Moscow day after Abu Dhabi peace talks” (November 11, 2026)
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