Ukraine peace talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner began Thursday in the Kremlin.
Kushner told Putin that Europe wanted a role in future negotiations, while Witkoff said a major prisoner exchange agreed to earlier this week during talks in Abu Dhabi signaled progress.
The US envoys arrived in Moscow on Thursday for talks with Putin, part of their latest push for a peace deal in Ukraine.
Americans can see that the Europeans are expressing a desire to take part in negotiations and bring the conflict to an end, Kushner said, according to the Interfax news agency (IFX).
The Europeans did not take a seat at the negotiation table in Abu Dhabi, but Witkoff said they were kept informed of the contacts, IFX cited.
The US has begun discussions with European partners on the continent's security architecture, and Kushner added the US sees Europe's strong desire to end the conflict in Ukraine.
For Russia, there is only one demarcation line (a state border) with Ukraine, Putin said, IFX cited.
We had positive humanitarian cooperation with Ukraine regarding Oleshky, the president added.
Russia has never been opposed to dialogue with Europe, Putin said, adding that he would like peace in Ukraine to last forever.
He continued by saying that the presence of foreign troops in Ukraine is unacceptable.
NATO's Rutte says there were positive developments in Ukraine talks
Additionally, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said on Thursday there had been positive developments during the Ukraine-Russia peace talks in Abu Dhabi but warned that it remained unclear whether Russia was genuinely willing to engage in negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.
"It all depends on the Russians, whether they are willing to play ball," Rutte said, adding that Ukraine must be kept as strong as
Top Russian diplomat says too soon to say trust restored between Moscow and Kyiv after talks
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said it was too soon to say that trust had been restored between Russia and Ukraine following peace talks in Abu Dhabi, the IFX cited him as saying on Thursday.
Ryabkov made his comments as US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow on Thursday for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, part of their latest push for a peace deal in Ukraine.
Ukraine's Zelensky to meet US negotiators on Thursday
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said that he would meet US peace negotiators later on Thursday after their visit to Moscow.
Addressing the European Political Community summit in Dublin, Zelensky said that Kyiv found the US approach of discussing a new security order with Russia "a bit strange."
"Because for 30 years after the Soviet Union collapsed, Europe treated Russia well, and Europe tried to have as much trade as possible, as much cooperation as possible, and as good relations as possible with Russia," Zelensky said.