U.S. Negotiators Meet with Putin Amid Ukraine Tensions
On December 2, 2025, U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law, met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and other officials at the Kremlin. This meeting is part of the recent efforts by the White House to encourage Russia to conclude its ongoing invasion of Ukraine. The discussions came shortly after Putin asserted that Russia is prepared to retaliate immediately if threatened.
The meeting kicked off around 11:30 a.m. ET, featuring Witkoff, 68, and Kushner, 44, accompanied by a Russian-speaking interpreter. Just two days earlier, they had wrapped up intensive talks with senior Ukrainian and U.S. officials in South Florida, where they aimed to finalize a revised peace framework that has since been shared with Moscow.
Kushner, although lacking an official title, has been recognized for his ability to navigate complex international negotiations, notably when facilitating a ceasefire in Gaza. His involvement in this ongoing situation is in part due to that success in overcoming political divisions.
President Trump had previously identified both Witkoff and Kushner as top negotiators for achieving a sustainable peace during a speech in Congress in October.
During the meeting, Putin hosted several notable figures, including Yuri Ushakov, a senior Kremlin diplomat, and Kirill Dmitriev, who leads a Russian sovereign wealth fund. Following a pre-meeting meal, Dmitriev joined Witkoff and Kushner for an afternoon stroll in Moscow, which Witkoff described as quite beautiful, although the primary focus remained on formal discussions.
Earlier that day, Putin criticized Europe for allegedly favoring Ukraine and undermining peace efforts. He claimed that the continent’s demands are “absolutely unacceptable” to Russia, while reassuring that Russia intends no aggression against other European nations.
“However, if Europe wishes to provoke a conflict with us, we will be fully prepared,” Putin stated confidently.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was busy in Dublin, meeting with Irish leader Michael Martin just a day after his discussions in Paris with French President Emmanuel Macron. Macron noted that he and Zelenskiy spoke with Witkoff before the summit to align their positions for the upcoming talks in Moscow.
“They want to hear from us right after the meeting,” Zelenskiy said alongside Martin, emphasizing that the next steps depend heavily on these communications, which he believed could change rapidly. “If we receive positive signals from our partners, a meeting with the American delegation could happen soon,” he added, noting that many conversations are ongoing but results are critical, given the human cost of the conflict.
Zelenskiy also mentioned that he had engaged with a Ukrainian delegation that had just returned from Florida, stating that they had successfully “finalized” a 19-point peace framework, which had been pared down from an original 28 points. Notably, the revised document does not require U.S. acknowledgment of Russian control over certain Ukrainian areas, leaving those discussions to be directly negotiated between Trump and Zelenskiy.
“Ukraine needs a clear timeline for when this war will conclude. That assurance is vital for the security of Ukraine and to prevent any future aggression,” Zelenskiy remarked.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio commented during a debate in Florida that there remains significant work to be done to resolve what he described as Europe’s most deadly conflict since World War II.
Witkoff and Kushner’s arrival in Moscow coincided with announcements from Kremlin forces about their capture of Pokrovsk, an important logistical city in eastern Ukraine.
