U.S. Envoys Broker Prisoner Swap After Two-Hour Kremlin Session
Witkoff and Kushner secured a deal to exchange captives after meeting with Putin, then traveled to Dublin to discuss European participation with Zelenskyy.
By Lauren Foster ·
The United States and Russia agreed to swap a large number of prisoners after U.S. envoys completed a two-hour meeting with President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin on Thursday. The agreement marks the first direct breakthrough since Moscow and Kyiv last held discussions in Abu Dhabi in September.
Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner brokered the deal during the session. They then flew to Dublin, Ireland, to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The conflict is now approaching its fifth year, and both sides remain distant on the terms for a final settlement.
A central point of contention in the Dublin talks is the role of European nations. Kushner stated that the U.S. and Ukraine want Europe to appoint a single representative to negotiate with Moscow. Putin’s office, however, has resisted European involvement, arguing that the continent is financing Ukraine’s war effort.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov criticized European leaders for their disunity. “The Europeans squabble like spiders in a jar,” Peskov said. He added that any European who takes the initiative to contact the Russian side faces ostracism from their peers.
Putin’s aide Yuri Ushakov described the Thursday talks as substantive and constructive. He said Putin reminded the U.S. envoys of Moscow’s 2021 proposals, which demanded that NATO roll back its military deployments in Central and Eastern Europe. Putin also reaffirmed that any European troops sent to Ukraine after a ceasefire would be considered a legitimate target.
Zelenskyy told reporters in Dublin that political changes in the United States and Europe could create a window of opportunity for peace. He noted that Democrats taking control of Congress in January and upcoming elections in France may shift diplomatic dynamics. Despite the prisoner swap, Zelenskyy insisted that Ukraine will not surrender Russian-occupied territory in exchange for a deal.
Fighting continues along the 1,200-kilometer front line while Moscow’s strikes on energy infrastructure disrupt heat and electricity supplies. Ukraine also reported new slowdowns in the Starlink satellite internet service, with Zelenskyy saying military units experienced speed restrictions that limited drones to 161 kilometers per hour.
