Moscow, The Europe Today: Russian President Vladimir Putin met US Presidential Special Envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in the Kremlin on November 12, 2026. According to Russian Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov, the talks with Witkoff and Kushner were comprehensive, constructive, open, candid and productive, in line with all their previous meetings.
Speaking after the meeting, Ushakov said that the American negotiators strongly supported President Putin’s proposal to apply the model used in the successful humanitarian operation in Aleshki to Konstantinovka, another town located on the other side of the line of contact.
Humanitarian Operation Proposed for Konstantinovka
Ushakov said the Russian President noted that the Ukrainian side had raised the issue of so-called “grey zones,” areas where actual control is unclear. He stated that Moscow’s proposed humanitarian aid initiative would make it clear who actually controls these areas, determined by the situation on the ground rather than by the maps of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
He added that both sides agreed to begin discussing the details of the new humanitarian initiative with the American representatives. Russia, he said, is ready to start demining immediately and, once preparations for the humanitarian operation for the residents of Konstantinovka are complete, will invite journalists from Ukraine, European countries and the United States to observe the operation first-hand.
Russia Backs US Proposal on New European Security Architecture
According to Ushakov, President Putin once again supported an American proposal aimed at making progress on the security concerns of both Russia and Ukraine as part of building a new security system in Europe after the end of the Ukraine conflict.
He said the existing security system is clearly not working effectively, and expressed hope that European countries would also support efforts to shape a new and lasting system of peace and security in which the security of one country is not ensured at the expense of others. Russia, he said, is ready to begin talks on this issue with its American partners without delay.
In this context, Putin reiterated Russia’s position on the core principles of a system based on equal consideration of the security interests of all countries. These principles were presented by Moscow in 2021 in the form of draft treaties on security guarantees with the United States and NATO. They include no further NATO expansion, no deployment near Russia’s borders of weapon systems that could threaten Russia’s security, and a return of NATO’s force posture and deployments to the situation at the time the 1997 NATO-Russia Founding Act was signed.
Ushakov said the list is not limited to these points, and that Moscow intends to add new elements based on lessons from the current situation that it cannot ignore. He alleged that the collective West has taken up arms against Russia and does not hide its aims of preserving the Kyiv government and inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia.
Moscow Criticises European Stance
Turning to the position of European countries, Ushakov said they are trying by every possible means to join the negotiations, but, as President Putin has made clear, they must decide whether they want peace or the continuation of war. He claimed that all their practical steps so far indicate a preference for continuing the war rather than achieving peace.
He particularly drew attention to the active promotion of a proposal to deploy troops from countries in the “Coalition of the Willing” on Ukrainian territory after the end of the conflict, a move he said would in effect prolong the war indefinitely. He also claimed that the Kyiv government does not want the war to end, because ending it would require it to hold general elections immediately.
Ushakov said President Putin highlighted that the current US administration is working seriously, consistently and with strong determination towards a genuine and lasting settlement of the Ukraine conflict, and that President Donald Trump is personally committed to resolving the issue.
Putin-Trump Meeting and Trilateral Summit in Shenzhen
According to Ushakov, all issues related to the settlement of the conflict will be discussed in greater detail at the planned meeting between Presidents Putin and Trump on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shenzhen, China.
He said both Russia and the United States attach great importance to the upcoming trilateral summit in Shenzhen, which is being organised by the Chinese hosts. Work is currently under way to finalise the agenda and the issues to be discussed, and Moscow hopes that the first trilateral meeting of its kind will have a stabilising effect on the overall international situation.
Talks With Witkoff and Kushner on Abu Dhabi Process
During the talks, Witkoff and Kushner presented their detailed assessments of the trilateral negotiations and contacts held in Abu Dhabi on November 10 and 11. Ushakov said both Russia and the United States consider those talks constructive and productive, and the two sides agreed that the negotiation process and the dialogue under it would continue.
In particular, support was expressed for a proposal discussed in Abu Dhabi for another prisoner exchange, which is expected to be the largest so far. Its details and terms are currently being finalised. Ushakov noted that 35 prisoner exchanges have taken place since 2025, with each side exchanging around 5,000 prisoners. He expressed hope that the Ukrainian side would take a serious and responsible approach to implementing the new agreement reached in principle in Abu Dhabi.
US Envoys Head to Dublin
Following the detailed talks in the Kremlin, the American negotiators departed for Dublin, where meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and representatives of several European countries are scheduled. Ushakov expressed hope that Moscow’s messages would be conveyed to the relevant parties carefully and with their original meaning fully preserved.
He added that Russia’s contacts with Witkoff and Kushner continue, and that the two sides will hold further discussions on the current situation and its developments ahead of the meeting between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump in China.
