Russia has indicated that diplomatic engagement with the United States will continue, with Putin expected to hold further discussions with Trump on the conflict on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic
Cooperation (APEC) summit in China later this month.
According to Reuters, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said on Thursday that the Moscow meeting had been useful and that the American representatives had backed Putin’s proposal for a joint humanitarian mission to a city in eastern Ukraine.
The proposal concerns Kostiantynivka in the Donetsk region, where Putin suggested a joint Russian-Ukrainian initiative to facilitate humanitarian assistance and allow civilians to leave the area. The Russian leader reportedly said Moscow would need five days to clear nearby areas of landmines to facilitate the mission.
Ushakov also said Russia had conveyed its position on NATO expansion to the visiting American delegation, making clear that Moscow would not accept further expansion of the military alliance. He expressed hope that European countries would participate in discussions on establishing a new European security architecture.
The Kremlin’s remarks came after two days of US-mediated trilateral negotiations involving Russia and Ukraine in Abu Dhabi. The discussions marked the resumption of direct negotiations after a nine-month break.
While the Abu Dhabi meetings did not produce a breakthrough on the broader conflict, the parties announced progress towards a major prisoner-of-war exchange, which could take place in the coming weeks.
However, the latest developments suggest a possible expansion of the diplomatic process. US envoy Witkoff said after meeting Putin that another round of trilateral negotiations had been agreed upon and that European representatives would participate. This would mark a significant shift, given Moscow’s earlier reservations about European involvement.
Witkoff and Kushner subsequently travelled to Dublin, where they met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Zelensky welcomed the prospect of Europe having a direct role in the negotiations, saying European representatives would be part of the negotiating team and would have a voice in the discussions, according to reports.
Despite the diplomatic movement, significant differences remain over the terms of a potential settlement.
Ukraine has firmly rejected Putin’s demand that Kyiv surrender the entire Donbas region in eastern Ukraine as part of a peace agreement. Moscow, meanwhile, has maintained its territorial claims over four Ukrainian regions it announced as annexed in 2022, although it does not exercise complete control over them.
There are also disagreements over post-war security arrangements. Putin has warned that deploying European or other Western troops in Ukraine after a ceasefire would be unacceptable to Russia and could trigger a resumption of hostilities.
European leaders have similarly expressed reservations about discussing a broader security framework with Moscow without first securing a ceasefire in Ukraine.
The Russia-Ukraine war has approached its fifth year, with fighting continuing along the front line and Russian attacks targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
