Putin held four-hour talks with Trump envoys including Kushner and Witkoff at the Kremlin on January 22.
Night Talks at the Kremlin
The meeting took place late evening on Thursday, January 22. At the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin spoke with, among others, special envoy of US President Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, one of Donald Trump’s key advisors, and his son-in-law. According to Kremlin advisor Yuri Ushakov, the talks lasted about four hours and primarily concerned the war in Ukraine and further diplomatic steps.
“They were extremely substantive, constructive, honest, and based on trust,” Ushakov reported. He avoided providing details.
No Peace Without Resolution of Territorial Issues
According to Russian authorities, the key topic was the future of Ukraine. Ushakov noted that Moscow maintains its position on borders. “Without resolving territorial issues according to the previously agreed formula in Anchorage, there is no talk of a lasting agreement,” he stated.
At the same time, he assured that Russia is interested in resolving the conflict through political and diplomatic methods, though – as he added – until then it will continue military operations.
USA-Russia-Ukraine Trilateral Meeting in Abu Dhabi
One of the few specifics after the talks is the announcement of further negotiations. The Kremlin confirmed that on Friday, January 23, the first meeting of the trilateral working group USA-Russia-Ukraine will take place in Abu Dhabi, dedicated to security issues.
The Russian delegation will be headed by the head of military intelligence Igor Kostyukov. In parallel, Russian-American talks are also planned, concerning economic matters.
New Figure in US Delegation: Josh Gruenbaum
Although the Kremlin’s communications were sparse, the composition of the American delegation drew commentators’ attention. For the first time, Josh Gruenbaum participated in talks at such a high level – a White House advisor and head of the Federal Service for Procurement in the US administration.
Gruenbaum has recently also 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 possible Russian involvement in Peace Council projects, including proposals to use some of the Russian assets previously frozen by the US.