US and Russia Agree to Continue Ukraine Peace Talks After Envoy Meets Putin and Zelenskyy

US President Trump's special envoy Witkoff and son-in-law Kushner met with Russian President Putin in Moscow on the 12th, agreeing to continue trilateral talks involving the US, Russia, and Ukraine. Witkoff stated a new meeting had been scheduled. The most recent trilateral talks were held in the UAE on the 10th and 11th, where Russia and Ukraine agreed on a large prisoner exchange, but no concrete progress was made on key issues such as the status of Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory and post-ceasefire security guarantees for Ukraine. Witkoff indicated European countries seeking involvement in the peace process may join the next round. During the meeting, Putin reiterated that resolving territorial issues is essential to ending the conflict, demanding legal cession of occupied Ukrainian territories to Russia. He also rejected any Western troop deployment in Ukraine post-ceasefire and proposed a localized truce in Kostiantynivka, Donetsk Oblast. Witkoff and Kushner subsequently met with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy in Ireland.