U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Moscow on Thursday for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Their arrival followed overnight attacks targeting Kyiv and Moscow, a day after U.S.-mediated talks between Russia and Ukraine ended in Abu Dhabi.
Kirill Dmitriev, a Russian presidential envoy, met Witkoff and Kushner at the airport. The two Americans were due to meet Putin later Thursday. After Moscow, they plan to travel to Ireland for a separate meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is due to attend a gathering of European leaders there.
The two meetings mark the next step in Washington’s diplomatic effort after the three countries held talks in Abu Dhabi. The Moscow visit brings the U.S. negotiators directly to Putin, while the planned stop in Ireland gives them a chance to discuss the outcome with Zelenskyy.
Overnight attacks hit Ukraine and target Moscow
Explosions rang out in Kyiv early Thursday. Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces struck military and energy facilities in Ukraine, including what it described as a munitions warehouse in the capital. In western Ukraine, a local official reported damage to energy and civilian infrastructure in the Rivne region.
Meanwhile, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Russian air defenses shot down five drones heading toward the capital. Officials in other Russian regions, including Rostov and Tula, also reported intercepting drones.
The attacks came as Washington shifted from three-way talks in Abu Dhabi to separate meetings with the Russian and Ukrainian presidents. The immediate focus is what emerges from the Moscow meeting and what the U.S. delegation takes to its planned talks with Zelenskyy in Ireland.
