US Officials Meet Putin After Abu Dhabi Talks, Raising Hopes for Ukraine Progress

US officials Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin on Thursday following two days of Ukraine peace talks in Abu Dhabi, raising hopes of progress despite persistent disagreements. The Abu Dhabi talks yielded only a prisoner exchange, but negotiators reported a "new level of negotiations," with Witkoff announcing another round that will include European participation. A draft declaration backed by roughly 40 states, initiated by France's foreign minister, asserts Europe must jointly decide all European security questions. Russia's shifting demands, from NATO's withdrawal from Eastern Europe in 2021 to territorial claims in Ukraine, have fueled skepticism that talks are stalling tactics. Russia faces a budget deficit of nearly 56 billion euros this year, yet Putin shows no signs of conceding, proposing instead a "humanitarian mission" in Konstantinivka.