US Envoys Kushner and Witkoff Arrive in Moscow for Ukraine Talks

US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow on Thursday ahead of talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, CNN reported. The pair met with Russian presidential special envoy Kirill Dmitriev on arrival at Vnukovo Airport, according to Russian state news agency TASS.

The trip follows two days of talks in Abu Dhabi between Russian, Ukrainian and American negotiators, which concluded after fewer than two hours with no clear breakthrough. Speaking after the talks, Kushner said the purpose of the Moscow meeting was to finalize plans for more humanitarian relief and the release of prisoners, as well as to push to "get Europeans added to the format so we can make this a multilateral format."

Ukraine has long argued that Europe should be at the main negotiating table, while Moscow has resisted such efforts. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov criticized the presence of European officials in Abu Dhabi earlier in the week, saying their involvement was not a "promising approach." Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday, "No such contacts were planned, and none took place."

Kushner and Witkoff are also expected to travel to Dublin to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and discuss ideas from the Abu Dhabi talks.

Starshield Disruptions

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on X that the Ukrainian army is experiencing "significant disruptions to Starshield’s operations over the territory of Ukraine," a problem ongoing "for several days now" along the entire frontline and in temporarily occupied territories. Zelenskyy said systematic speed restrictions are being imposed on Starshield, limiting it to 161 kilometers per hour (100 miles per hour). He said the disruption complicates intercepting Russian jet-powered drones, with "strikes that got through because our interception systems cannot reach sufficient speeds and are unable to intercept in time." Zelenskyy said, "Unfortunately, this is helping the Russians kill more Ukrainians and carry out more accurate strikes against Ukraine. We are trying to establish all the circumstances with the American side."

Why it matters

The Moscow talks and the Starshield disruptions both involve US-Ukraine-Russia dynamics as negotiations over the Ukraine war continue.

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Sources

• cnn.com: Witkoff and Kushner arrive in Moscow for Ukraine talks with Putin | CNN Politics
• theguardian.com: Ukraine hit by ‘significant’ Starshield disruptions as US envoys meet Putin, Zelenskyy says - Europe live

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.