Video: Putin thanks Trump for enabling Russia-Ukraine contacts during Kremlin talks with US envoys
Abdullateef Fowewe
Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed gratitude to US President Donald Trump on Thursday for facilitating diplomatic contacts between Russia and Ukraine.
Video: Putin thanks Trump for enabling Russia-Ukraine contacts during Kremlin talks with US envoys
This occurred during a meeting at the Kremlin with American envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on Thursday.
Putin said he was pleased to welcome the US representatives and asked them to convey his thanks to Trump for organising the channels of communication.
He highlighted progress on the humanitarian track, including detainee exchanges, and said it was important to hear the envoys’ assessment of recent talks held in Abu Dhabi.
The meeting took place shortly after two days of US-mediated trilateral discussions in Abu Dhabi involving Russian and Ukrainian delegations.
Those talks produced an agreement in principle on a large-scale prisoner exchange but no major breakthroughs on territorial questions or a broader ceasefire.
Witkoff, serving as a special envoy, and Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, traveled to Moscow to brief Putin and continue efforts aimed at advancing peace negotiations.
Putin also referenced positive humanitarian cooperation, including operations related to the town of Oleshky in the Kherson region, and proposed similar measures elsewhere.
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022 and has continued for more than four and a half years, becoming Europe’s largest conflict since World War II.
Previous rounds of direct talks, including earlier meetings mediated by the United States, have repeatedly stalled over core issues such as territorial control, security guarantees, and the presence of foreign forces.
The Trump administration has prioritised renewed diplomatic engagement, with Witkoff and Kushner playing central roles in recent mediation efforts.
The Abu Dhabi meetings marked the first direct Russia-Ukraine-US talks in approximately nine months.
While prisoner exchanges and limited humanitarian steps have occasionally advanced, fundamental disagreements—particularly Russia’s insistence on recognition of annexed territories and Ukraine’s demands for security arrangements—remain unresolved.
European officials have sought greater involvement in future negotiations, a point raised during the Moscow discussions.
