Kremlin hosts late-night talks between Putin and Trump’s envoys, with discussions focusing on Ukraine and diplomatic steps.
Night Talks at the Kremlin
The meeting took place late Thursday evening, January 22. At the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin spoke with, among others, Steve Witkoff, a special envoy of US President Trump, and Jared Kushner, one of Donald Trump’s key advisors and privately his son-in-law. According to Kremlin advisor Yuri Ushakov, the talks lasted about four hours and mainly concerned the war in Ukraine and further diplomatic steps.
“They were extremely substantive, constructive, frank, and based on trust,” Ushakov reported. However, he avoided providing details.
No Peace Without Resolving Territorial Issues
According to Russian authorities, the key topic was the future of Ukraine. Ushakov noted that Moscow maintains its position on the borders.
“Without resolving territorial issues according to the formula previously agreed in Anchorage, there’s no question of a lasting agreement,” he stated. At the same time, he assured that Russia is interested in resolving the conflict through political and diplomatic means, though – as he added – until then it will continue military actions.
Trilateral USA-Russia-Ukraine Meeting in Abu Dhabi
One of the few concrete outcomes of the talks was the announcement of further negotiations. The Kremlin confirmed that on Friday, January 23, the first meeting of the trilateral USA-Russia-Ukraine working group, focused on security issues, will take place in Abu Dhabi.
The Russian delegation will be led by military intelligence chief Igor Kostyukov. Russian-American talks are also planned in parallel, concerning economic issues.
New Face in US Delegation
Although Kremlin communications were sparse, commentators noted the composition of the US delegation. For the first time, Josh Gruenbaum participated in talks at such a high level – a White House advisor and head of the Federal Acquisition Service in the US administration.
Gruenbaum has also recently served as an advisor to the newly established by Donald Trump Peace Council – an international initiative that will deal with global conflicts, including the situation in the Gaza Strip. According to the Kremlin, his presence was related to talks about future economic cooperation and Russia’s potential involvement in Peace Council projects, including proposals to use some of Russia’s previously frozen assets by the US.