US envoys meet Putin as diplomatic efforts continue over Ukraine

United States mediators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff held discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow following talks in Abu Dhabi. During the meeting, the American envoys emphasized the necessity of including European representatives in future negotiations to help secure a lasting settlement.

President Putin did not dismiss European involvement in potential talks but reiterated Russia's maximalist position on territorial boundaries. He insisted that any future border must align with Russia's constitutional claims, which encompass Crimea alongside four partially occupied regions in eastern Ukraine. Kremlin officials described the discussions with the US envoys as constructive, while American negotiators prepared to meet next with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to continue shuttle diplomacy.

Sources: Der Spiegel, Der Standard, FAZ, ORF, Tagesschau