Ukraine Peace Talks Restart After Witkoff-Putin Moscow Meeting, Envoys Say

Ukraine peace talks have restarted. US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner said on Thursday, November 12, 2026, that their two-and-a-half-hour meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin had put the stalled process back on track, and that a new round has already been set — this time with Europeans at the table.

Key Points

• Witkoff and Kushner met Putin at the Kremlin on Thursday, November 12, 2026, for about two and a half hours, then left Moscow.
• Speaking to CNN's Frederik Pleitgen at Vnukovo Airport, Witkoff said: "I think progress was made... People didn't think that we were going to restart trilateral. We've restarted it. We've set a new meeting."
• European representatives will join the next round, Witkoff confirmed: "They're our partners, and it's important for them to be involved."
• Kushner said the Moscow discussions were "very fulsome and detailed" and would inform the next multilateral discussions.
• The envoys flew on to Dublin to brief Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, attending the European Political Community summit there.

What Happened

The two envoys arrived in Moscow on Thursday, a day after two days of US-mediated Russia-Ukraine talks in Abu Dhabi ended without a ceasefire breakthrough. At the Kremlin they sat with Putin for about two and a half hours, joined by senior aides Yuri Ushakov, Kirill Dmitriev and Vladimir Medinsky. It was Witkoff's tenth meeting with the Russian president.

Speaking to reporters at Vnukovo Airport before their flight out, Witkoff struck an upbeat note. "I think progress was made. I think it was made earlier today," he told CNN's Frederik Pleitgen. "People didn't think that we were going to restart trilateral. We've restarted it. We've set a new meeting." Kushner called the session "very fulsome and detailed" and said it would feed into the next round of multilateral talks.

The two men then flew to Dublin to debrief Zelenskyy, who was attending the European Political Community summit of more than 40 countries. The diplomacy played out against a grim backdrop: Russia launched a ballistic missile and drone attack on Ukraine overnight into Thursday, killing at least one person in Kyiv.

Background: Abu Dhabi and the Road to Moscow

The Moscow meeting followed the first direct Russia-Ukraine talks in nine months, held in Abu Dhabi on November 10 and 11 under American mediation. Those two days ended without a ceasefire deal but with an agreement in principle on a large prisoner exchange — the first concrete outcome of direct contact between the warring sides since February.

The Abu Dhabi talks also exposed the gaps that remain. Ukraine insists Russia must stop military operations before broader security talks advance, while Moscow has resisted European participation. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the meeting "very productive" but cautioned a breakthrough would take time; the Russian delegation's Vladimir Medinsky said mutual understanding was reached "on some points" but not others.

One goal in Moscow was to secure Putin's blessing for Europeans to join talks on the continent's broader security arrangements. The war is nearing five years since Russia's full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022.

Ukraine Peace Talks: What the Restart Means

The restart matters because it keeps the only direct channel between Moscow and Kyiv alive. The trilateral format — the United States, Russia and Ukraine together — had stalled after earlier rounds produced little beyond prisoner swaps. A new meeting, with a date now set, gives the process a pulse it did not have a week ago.

The European question is the biggest shift. Moscow has resisted European involvement, preferring to deal directly with Washington, while Kyiv and European capitals insist no settlement can hold without Europe, which would have to guarantee any deal and fund reconstruction. Putin said Russia had "never objected (to) pursuing dialogue" with Europe.

Putin also proposed a temporary "humanitarian mission" in Kostiantynivka, Donetsk Oblast, saying 400 to 500 people remain there and a pause would let them leave and allow demining. He claimed Russian forces control the town. The proposal is untested, and there was no immediate word from Kyiv.

Reactions: Envoys Upbeat, Putin Open to Europe

Witkoff's airport remarks were the most positive public assessment of the process in weeks — a direct answer to sceptics who had written off Abu Dhabi as a dead end. Kushner reinforced the message, linking the Moscow session to the next round of multilateral discussions.

Putin framed Russia as open to dialogue, saying any peace must be "eternal, for good". Zelenskyy, in Dublin for the summit, has consistently demanded firm security guarantees and European participation — two points the next round will now have to address directly.

Why It Matters

The restart keeps the only live negotiation channel open, brings Europe into the room — one of Kyiv's core demands — and builds on the prisoner-exchange agreement from Abu Dhabi, which shows the process can still produce practical results.

But the limits are clear. The talks have not stopped the fighting, and Russia's overnight strike on Kyiv shows the Kremlin is negotiating and bombing at the same time. Ukraine's demand that Russia halt military operations before broader talks advance remains unmet, and the sequencing dispute that dogged Abu Dhabi has not been resolved.

What Happens Next

The immediate next step is the Dublin debrief, where Witkoff and Kushner will tell Zelenskyy what Putin said and hear Kyiv's response. Attention will then turn to the new round of talks: no date or venue has been announced publicly, but Witkoff said a meeting has been set and Europeans will be involved.

The prisoner-exchange agreement is expected to move toward implementation, and the Kostiantynivka proposal will be watched closely. If a temporary pause takes hold there, it could become a model for wider local ceasefires; if it collapses, it will confirm sceptics who see Moscow's offers as tactical.

Frequently Asked Questions

What did Witkoff say after the Moscow meeting?

At Vnukovo Airport, Witkoff told CNN that progress had been made, the trilateral talks had restarted and a new meeting had been set, with Europeans to join the next round.

Who will join the next round of talks?

European representatives will join the next round, Witkoff confirmed: "They're our partners, and it's important for them to be involved."

What happened at the Abu Dhabi talks?

Russia and Ukraine held their first direct talks in nine months in Abu Dhabi on November 10-11, 2026, ending without a ceasefire but with an agreement in principle on a large prisoner exchange.

What did Putin propose about Kostiantynivka?

Putin proposed a temporary "humanitarian mission" in Kostiantynivka, Donetsk Oblast, saying 400 to 500 people remain there and a pause would let them leave. He claimed Russian forces control the town.

Is there a ceasefire in Ukraine?

No. Neither Abu Dhabi nor the Moscow meeting produced a ceasefire, and Russia attacked Ukraine overnight into Thursday, killing at least one person in Kyiv.

Related coverage: Abu Dhabi talks end without ceasefire deal as envoys head to Moscow; Ukraine and Russia agree prisoner exchange in Abu Dhabi talks; US envoys to press Russia on Europe joining next round of talks.