US envoys to meet Putin in Moscow as 'window of opportunity' opens on Ukraine war

• Both Washington and Kyiv pointed to a potential opening for progress.
• Russia and Ukraine agreed to what Kushner termed the "biggest" prisoner exchange of the war.
• Moscow pushed for a "new, modern Yalta" reshaping European security while questioning Europe's inclusion.

US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow on Thursday for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin following two days of negotiations in Abu Dhabi over the war in Ukraine, as both Washington and Kyiv pointed to a potential opening to advance peace efforts.

Putin’s special representative Kirill Dmitriev welcomed the pair, US President Donald Trump's son-in-law and businessman Witkoff, upon their arrival at Moscow's Vnukovo Airport.

Following their meeting with Putin, the envoys are scheduled to fly to Dublin to debrief Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who arrived in the Irish capital late Wednesday ahead of a summit of roughly 50 European leaders.

Kushner told reporters that the Moscow meeting would review the Abu Dhabi discussions and explore potential breakthroughs, noting that the US delegation sees "some openings and some opportunities."

Speaking in Ireland, Zelensky echoed cautious optimism, suggesting there could be a "window of opportunity" to bring the conflict to an end before 2027.

"What's important is that the Americans flew to Putin with specifics. I would very much like them to return to Dublin with specifics," Zelensky said, adding that while he remains skeptical, "there is hope." He also welcomed what he described as a warmer, more positive US approach toward including European nations in the diplomatic process.

Prisoner exchange agreed

While fundamental disagreements remain unresolved, the Abu Dhabi talks yielded an agreement for a major prisoner-of-war exchange, described by Kushner as the "biggest" of the conflict so far.

Neither side confirmed official figures, though Zelensky said Kyiv is awaiting Moscow's final response on a potential swap involving 1,000 to 1,200 detainees from each side. Zelensky also noted that negotiators delved into "much greater detail" regarding post-war security guarantees.

European security architecture

European officials expressed skepticism ahead of Thursday's Dublin summit, maintaining that there has been little genuine progress toward peace and rejecting discussions over broader European security arrangements with Moscow while fighting continues.

Russia’s delegation chief, Vladimir Medinsky, questioned the utility of European participation, stating Moscow had received no concrete peace proposals from European capitals. Medinsky told Russian television that Moscow is seeking a "new, modern Yalta," a reference to the 1945 post-World War II conference that divided European spheres of influence, an outcome Kyiv has explicitly warned against.

Kushner stated that finding mechanisms to bring European partners into the negotiating format would be on his agenda with Putin. Officials from Britain, France, Germany, Italy, NATO, and the European Union held sideline consultations in Abu Dhabi earlier this week.