Witkoff Says New Round of Talks Agreed After Putin Meeting; Europe's Seat Still Unsettled

A day after the Abu Dhabi talks ended with a prisoner swap agreed in principle and no ceasefire, U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff reportedly said today, Nov. 12, that a new round of trilateral talks with Russia and Ukraine had been agreed following his and Jared Kushner's meeting with Vladimir Putin in Moscow, according to Russian news agencies cited by The Guardian. The Guardian's live blog said Europeans were also set to join the meeting, but it has not yet carried Witkoff's full quotes.

The announcement came with no date, venue or agenda in the reporting available. Moscow has resisted a European presence at the table.

What Kushner said he wanted from Moscow

Before the Putin meeting, Kushner said one goal was to get Europeans added to the talks. He said Russia and Ukraine both need clarity on postwar security arrangements, and that European countries, the EU and NATO have to be involved in those discussions to build consensus on next steps.

Moscow has resisted that. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday that European representatives could eventually join peace talks, but that their current statements "don't indicate any desire on their part to contribute to movement along the path toward peace." Moscow's complaint is that Europe finances and supplies weaponry to Ukraine.

Russian media reported that Putin told the envoys he wants the U.S. to work with Europe "so they can decide what they want, peace or war." That is not an invitation to the table.

Europe is still arguing over who speaks for it

The question of who should speak for Europe is live. Luxembourg's prime minister backed the EU's Costa to represent Europe in the Ukraine talks. Ireland's Martin said the EU needs a "clear, coherent" leadership voice. France's Macron said Europe has to agree on "what it wants, both for Ukraine and for itself" on security.

Merz said supporting Ukraine is "a collective European responsibility." Von der Leyen "very much welcomes" the Abu Dhabi talks and confirmed work on a new sanctions package. The EU's Kallas warned there is no "good will" from Russia as attacks on Ukraine continue.

NATO's Rutte said it "all depends on the Russians, whether they are willing to play ball."

Zelenskyy arrived at the European Political Community summit in Dublin, where Kushner and Witkoff are to meet him after Moscow. He has cautioned against a "strange" approach to resetting Europe's security relations with Russia. Earlier in the week, speaking in Copenhagen, he said it was "time" for Europe to choose a representative for the talks.

The EU's position is that discussions on Europe's security arrangements can only start after a ceasefire. Ukraine has warned against a "Yalta 2.0," referring to Western leaders dividing Europe with the Soviet Union after World War II.

The prisoner swap and the gap on territory

The one concrete result from Abu Dhabi remains the prisoner exchange. Kushner said the sides would finalize the numbers Thursday. Alexander Zorin, a deputy chief of the General Staff's information department, told Russian state TV it would be one of the biggest such swaps since 1,000 soldiers from each side returned home last year, and could take place in the next two or three weeks. Russian delegation head Vladimir Medinsky noted the agreement was "in principle."

On territory, nothing has moved publicly. Russia continues to demand all of Donetsk, while Ukraine has pushed for freezing the conflict along the current line of contact. A U.S. official said before the talks that both sides had shown "a little bit of flexibility privately," and that neither would settle the territorial question until they know what the postwar security architecture will be. Zelenskyy said Ukraine will not give in to demands that it cede occupied territory in exchange for peace.

Kushner was blunt about trust. "The reality is, is there's no trust right now between the sides. And that's to be expected after a conflict like this," he said. He had said earlier that the U.S. had "narrowed the gaps" between the sides, without providing details.

The criticism of the Witkoff-Kushner channel

National Review argues the process amounts to an "American surrender to Russia." Its writer notes that today's Moscow trip is the tenth time in less than two years that Witkoff has met Putin in person. In its account, Putin has made zero concessions, unless one counts prisoner exchanges or a four-day cease-fire in the Oleshky region. It also says Russia wrapped up the Abu Dhabi round by attacking power plants and cargo ships carrying grain.

National Review cites a White House statement that "First Lady Melania Trump and her representative worked directly with Russian and Ukrainian leadership to define the terms of the localized ceasefire," and argues Witkoff and Kushner appear to have had little to do with that.

A Guardian snap analysis of Putin's public remarks today concluded his maximalist rhetoric once again suggests no plans to compromise to end the war.

The next checkpoints are concrete. Kushner and Witkoff are due to meet Zelenskyy in Dublin. The date and venue of the new round have not been reported, and it is not established whether Moscow will accept Europeans at the table. The final numbers for the prisoner swap were due to be finalized Thursday.