Zelensky sees a "window of opportunity" for peace as US envoys head to Putin

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks of a “window of opportunity” to end the war: according to him, all the parties involved in the negotiations really want an outcome before 2027.¹² He said this in Dublin, while US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were expected in Moscow by Vladimir Putin on Thursday, November 12, before going on to meet him in Ireland.³²⁴

Who the envoys are and what they will do in Moscow

Witkoff and Kushner are the two envoys through whom Donald Trump keeps the dialogue with the Kremlin open with a view to a negotiated agreement. Kushner is also the son-in-law of the American president.³⁵ They landed at Moscow’s Vnukovo airport on the morning of November 12. They were greeted by Kirill Dmitriev, Putin’s special representative.⁶⁷⁴ The meeting was announced the day before by Yuri Ushakov, the Kremlin’s foreign policy adviser, who described it as a talk “as usual”. According to the agency Adnkronos, the agenda includes the prospects for an agreement, security guarantees and future relations between Moscow and Europe.³⁴ Kushner explained that with Putin he intends to discuss the issues that emerged in the Abu Dhabi talks.⁴

What emerged from the Abu Dhabi talks

Russian and Ukrainian negotiators met for two days in the United Arab Emirates, with US mediation. They were the first talks of this kind since February.² The parties agreed on what is described as the largest exchange of prisoners of war, but according to the Guardian, progress towards a broader agreement has been scarce. American mediators said that gaps remain on important issues, including territorial questions.⁶² One top official on the Ukrainian side described the Russian team as having come in with “very rigid instructions”, yet said that on post-war security guarantees for Ukraine, “real headway” had been made. He added that he sees enough momentum to reach a deal before the year is out.² Kushner said the two sides have no trust in each other, yet he called the talks an encouraging beginning.² According to Ukrainska Pravda, on the first day they discussed security guarantees, Russian demands and the future of Ukraine after the war.⁴

What Zelensky said from Dublin

Zelensky arrived in Dublin on November 11 for the ninth summit of the European Political Community. He said he plans bilateral and multilateral meetings with around twenty leaders.⁸ On the negotiations he said that “it is important that the Americans flew to Putin with specific proposals” and that he would like them to return to Dublin with equally specific answers. He also stressed that much depends on how Washington deals with Moscow.³² On Europe’s role he was clear: ending the war without the European countries would be “unfair and, frankly, impossible”. Kushner also said European partners must sit at the table between Russia and Ukraine.³⁶ Zelensky welcomed the fact that the talks in the Emirates were not blocked and said Ukrainians need “very concrete” answers, particularly on the humanitarian situation.³

The overnight attacks

In the early hours of November 12, Russia and Ukraine also struck each other in their respective capitals. The Russian Defence Ministry said it had hit military and energy targets in Ukraine and an ammunition depot in Kyiv, while a Reuters witness heard explosions in the city.⁶ Moscow’s mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, reported the shooting down of five drones heading toward the Russian capital.⁶

This article was written by artificial intelligence from the sources cited, without human review. Automatic newsroom by Redazia.

Sources

Footnotes

1. Live: US envoys to meet Putin and Zelensky after Abu Dhabi talks, France 24, 2026-11-12 ↩

2. Ukraine war briefing: Zelenskyy sees ‘window of opportunity’ for peace as US envoys to meet Putin, Latest news, sport and opinion from the Guardian, 2026-11-12 ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷

3. Ucraina, Putin incontra gli inviati di Trump. Zelensky: “Senza l’Europa la pace è impossibile”, Adnkronos, 2026-11-11 ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶

4. Trump’s envoys arrive in Moscow for talks with Putin – video, Ukrainska Pravda, 2026-11-12 ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

5. Ukraine peace talks: US envoys arrive in Russia to meet with Putin, Deutsche Welle, 2026-11-12 ↩

6. Russia, Ukraine exchange attacks on capitals as US envoys head for Moscow, The Straits Times · World, 2026-11-12 ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

7. Trump Envoys Kushner and Witkoff Arrive in Moscow for Talks With Putin, Kyiv Post, 2026-11-12 ↩

8. Zelensky Arrives in Dublin for European Summit Ahead of Talks With US Envoys, Kyiv Post, 2026-11-11 ↩