BBCUnited States
Goldstein: 5.0Tone: -33.3CAMEO 08
Witkoff and Kushner's visit to Moscow was the latest of many trips the US envoys have made to see Vladimir Putin
US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff held a fresh round of talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, a day after the latest discussions aimed at ending the war in Ukraine wrapped up in Abu Dhabi.
The pair are now in Dublin to meet Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, and Witkoff said a new round of trilateral talks had already been agreed with Putin.
But in a sign of further tension, Zelensky said on Thursday morning that Ukraine's military was again facing "systematic" restrictions to Starlink's military-grade satellite service, Starshield, meaning Kyiv was struggling to intercept Russian jet-powered drones.
The peace talks in the Emirates were framed as being centred around European security arrangements in a post-war scenario, although a resolution to the war sparked by Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 still appears distant.
Comments by both President Vladimir Putin and Kremlin officials suggest that Russia's position on the war has not shifted, and that Moscow's demands for territory and neutrality continue to far exceed what Ukraine is prepared to consider.
Witkoff said that Europeans would join the next round of talks. "They are our partners and it's important to us that they take part," Witkoff told Russian state TV after meeting Putin in the Kremlin.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham had said that UK national security adviser Jonathan Powell would join Zelensky, Witkoff and Kushner for talks in Dublin, but Downing Street later said they had been delayed, meaning the national security adviser could no longer join.
Earlier on Thursday, Zelensky said Ukraine was trying to clear up the Starlink situation with the American side but added "some things" were already clear: "If someone in America is making decisions that basically treat Ukrainian territory as if it is not Ukrainian, then this tells us where things are going." He did not elaborate further.
Starshield was developed by Elon Musk's SpaceX company for government and military use. Along with Starlink, it has come to play a vital role in facilitating communication on Ukraine's front line. A similar issue with connectivity affected the front line in late October and lasted about a week before it was fixed and it remained unclear who had ordered the temporary restrictions.
Why is Ukraine so reliant on Starlink and can Europe plug the gap?
Zelensky said the current disruption had been ongoing for several days and was "helping the Russians kill more Ukrainians and carry out more accurate strikes against Ukraine".
Meanwhile, some of the longstanding roadblocks in the peace process were addressed during the US-Russia talks in the Kremlin.
The territorial issue continues to be a key point of contention, Putin said.
"For us there is only one line of demarcation: the line of the state border. Because then it will be clear that we are here, and you are there. As soon as we start discussing 'grey zones'… arguments immediately start and any agreements become unstable. And there will be no lasting peace."
He also suggested organising a humanitarian truce to allow for the evacuation of hundreds of civilians from a frontline area, on the model of last month's ceasefire in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky.
Putin suggested a similar five-day ceasefire for Kostyantynivka, a contested front-line Ukrainian city in the eastern region of Donetsk.
Kyiv disputes that Russia fully holds the town, and a truce could help Moscow's troops to make a final push to seize it.
"Considering that they brought in equipment and rotated troops in Oleshky under the guise of a humanitarian operation, it's clear what they want in Kostyantynivka," Ukrainian presidential adviser Dmitry Lytvyn told the BBC, adding that the details would need to be "clarified".
But at the core of this week's talks has been the issue of European security architecture. Earlier Kushner said the US hoped to "create a new framework" of security between Ukraine, Russia and Europe that could "secure lasting peace", while Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov said it was "clear that the current system does not work."
Ukraine and Europe have long been concerned about the current US administration's commitment to European security and its softening towards the Kremlin and that decisions about their continent could be made without them.
Zelensky said he found the US approach of discussing a new European security order with Russia "a bit strange".
"It is a significant shift in the US position that the US has now taken on board the Russian demand that the European security architecture needs to be discussed and agreed upon in parallel with the Ukraine peace talks," said the Director of the Estonian Foreign Policy Institute Kristi Raik.
She said the Russians have a "long history" of wanting to revise European security architecture, intended as core principles "like sovereignty, territorial integrity, the principle that there is no use of force to some conflicts".
Russia "has long looked to reduced Nato presence on the Eastern flank and that… get some kind of veto rights in decisions concerning European security and defence," Raik said. "And that's where it gets even more difficult to imagine that there could be an agreement between the Europeans and the Russians."
On Thursday, Putin again repeated that the presence of foreign troops in Ukraine was "unacceptable" to Russia, and said Russia would like the Americans to engage with Europe "so that the Europeans can decide what they truly want: peace or war".
During the first years of the war, Europeans cut communications with the Kremlin and refused to engage with Russia directly.
That position has now shifted for many as concern that decisions about the European continent could be made without European involvement.
Kushner also urged Europe to "identify one person to speak on their behalf" in the negotiations.
Top EU diplomat Kaja Kallas told the BBC's Newshour programme the presence of a European official at the next meeting showed the Kremlin had "now realised that Europe is a big player here because we are the ones who have been supporting Ukraine".
With financial pressures on European budgets, Kallas said it was "becoming harder to help Ukraine", but warned of the "the danger not only for the eastern flank of the European Union but actually for our whole continent" if Russian aggression was allowed to continue.
The Kremlin has not confirmed the make-up of next week's talks, and at the start of the meeting, Putin had indicated he didn't want European countries to play a full role. The Russians have long cited Europe's support for Kyiv as an obstacle to their involvement.
Speaking to Kushner and Witkoff, Putin said he was encouraging them "to work with your European allies so that they finally decide whether they want peace or war in Ukraine."
'No light, no water, no heat': Ukrainians struggle with blackouts as Russia hits power grid
Russia-Ukraine talks turn to post-war security but end without breakthrough
Why is Starlink internet so important on the battlefield in Ukraine?
Open article →NBCUnited States
Goldstein: 5.0Tone: 42.9CAMEO 08
Hours after an American delegation touched down in Moscow for peace talks, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country’s military had experienced a renewed wave of “significant disruptions” to the Starshield satellite internet service, hampering its ability to defend itself against Russia.
“These are not random errors but systematic speed restrictions,” he said in a Telegram post. “For us, this primarily means a significant complication in intercepting Russian jet-powered drones.”
His comments came as U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, arrived in the Russian capital for peace talks with President Vladimir Putin , a day after trilateral talks aimed at ending the war were held in the United Arab Emirates.
The two-day Abu Dhabi summit, the first such meeting since February, ended with no major breakthrough, although representatives of Russia and Ukraine agreed on a large exchange of prisoners of war.
In Moscow, Kushner told Putin that Europe wanted a role in future negotiations, according to Russia’s Tass state news agency.
European countries cut communications with the Kremlin and refused to engage with Russia directly after Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 , but have since expressed concern about the Trump administration’s softening stance toward the Kremlin. Kushner last week said he also wanted to address “long-term European security and stability,” signaling a focus beyond just Ukraine that prompted a firm response from European leaders.
Expanding on that theme on Thursday, Kushner said there was a “very strong momentum and desire” from European leaders to “engage together,” adding that “understanding the long-term security between Russia, Ukraine, and Europe is a conversation that we started having with them.”
While representatives from several European countries were in Abu Dhabi, they did not play a direct role in the talks. Russian negotiators have previously opposed their involvement, citing Europe’s support for Kyiv as an obstacle.
At the meeting in Moscow, the Interfax news agency reported that Putin proposed a joint Russian-Ukrainian humanitarian mission to the city of Kostiantynivka in eastern Ukraine, similar to the Melania Trump-brokered mission in Oleshky that allowed residents to leave the Russian-controlled town.
Meanwhile in Ukraine, Zelenskyy said military units had for several days reported speed restrictions affecting the entire front line and Russian-occupied parts of the country.
A limit of 100 mph is once again being “imposed on Starshield,” he said of the military version of SpaceX’s Starlink communications service. The system normally runs at a stable speed exceeding around 250 mph.
“These are not random errors but systematic speed restrictions,” he said. “For us, this primarily means a significant complication in intercepting Russian jet-powered drones.”
“Unfortunately, there have already been strikes that got through because our interception systems cannot reach sufficient speeds and are unable to intercept in time,” he added.
Zelenskyy, who is set to meet with Kushner and Witkoff in Dublin on Friday, added that Ukraine was trying to clarify the reasons for the restriction with the U.S. side.
SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment from NBC News.
Craig Albert, the graduate director of national defense studies at Augusta University, said decreasing Starshield’s speed would slow down how fast Ukraine’s offensive drones travel, “which makes them pretty much target practice for faster interceptor drones by the Russians.”
It would also slow down Ukrainian interceptor drones and their missile defense systems, meaning “Russian drones can get through their defenses much quicker.”
“The Russians can target more infrastructure, and the Ukrainians just don’t have the speed to counteract,” he said, adding that “for the price, the scale, the speed, the scalability, and the efficiency,” there were no real options other than Starshield.
Ukraine first raised the alarm last month about speed limits being imposed on Starshield, which is crucial to its battlefield operations and air defenses.
Starlink owner Elon Musk initially put the responsibility for the restrictions on Trump, who has been trying to pressure Kyiv to make concessions to end the war. The U.S. government said that any such decision could only have been made by Musk.
Trump denied being involved in the decision concerning the slowdown. Musk later said in an X post that SpaceX had acted to close a “loophole” with its civilian Starlink service, accusing Ukraine of violating “Starlink terms of service” by using it for offensive drone strikes, which the country denied.
Moscow has so far resisted such efforts to bring Europe to the main negotiating table, something Ukraine has long sought.
The talks came against the backdrop of continued fighting on the front lines, where neither side has achieved significant progress for months.
Instead, the focus has shifted to daily attacks with long-range missiles and drones. Russia has targeted Ukrainian cities, aiming to cut off water and power supplies as winter sets in. Kyiv has resumed attacks on energy infrastructure, a campaign that drew Trump’s ire.
Ukrainian officials said Thursday that five civilians had been killed by Russian strikes on the country overnight, and 29 people injured. The Russian Defense Ministry said it had shot down 71 drones.
Henry Austin is a senior editor for NBC News Digital based in London.
Open article →GDELTWashington D.C.
Goldstein: 5.5Tone: -4.3
In brief: Ahead of US envoys’ talks with Putin in Moscow, Zelensky firmly rejects pressure to surrender Donbas, demands American security guarantees and questions Russia’s willingness to compromise.
President Volodymyr Zelensky firmly rejected US pressure to make territorial concessions in Donbas on Wednesday, Nov. 11, reiterating that Kyiv will not surrender its sovereign territory to end Russia’s war.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin in Dublin, Zelensky said American negotiators repeatedly raise the issue of Donbas as part of efforts to reach a peace settlement.
Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official .
“The American side very often raises the topic of Donbas, part of our Ukrainian land,” Zelensky said.
“They think that to end this war, we have to leave our territory. It’s impossible to talk this way with us, with an independent, sovereign country.”
Zelensky said Washington was exploring alternative proposals but declined to disclose their details, stressing that progress would depend on the US willingness to pressure Moscow.
His remarks followed two days of US-mediated negotiations in Abu Dhabi, where Ukrainian and Russian delegations remained sharply divided over territorial demands and the conditions for ending the war.
Ukraine’s chief negotiator, Rustem Umerov, acknowledged that major differences persisted despite the talks.
“Over these two days, the parties were able to state their positions directly, and significant differences remain between them,” Umerov said.
Russia’s chief negotiator, Vladimir Medinsky, meanwhile, ruled out territorial exchanges as part of a settlement, according to Russian state media, signaling Moscow’s continued unwillingness to compromise on territorial issues.
Despite describing renewed negotiations as an opportunity for progress, Zelensky expressed skepticism about whether Moscow would respond constructively to proposals presented by US President Donald Trump’s envoys.
“The Americans flew to Putin with concrete proposals. I would very much like them to return to Dublin with concrete answers,” Zelensky said, speaking in Ukrainian.
“I don’t really believe they will. Let me be the skeptic on this team. But there is still hope.”
US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Thursday, Nov. 12, before traveling to Dublin for further talks with Zelensky.
“It depends on the willingness of the American side to pressure Russia or not,” Zelensky said, emphasizing Washington’s decisive role in the negotiations.
He acknowledged that the US negotiating team appeared determined to achieve results before the end of 2026 but warned that Russia’s willingness to compromise remained uncertain.
“We understand who we are dealing with,” he said.
Zelensky insisted that any peace settlement must include concrete American security guarantees capable of preventing renewed Russian aggression.
“We need security guarantees from America, not from Russia,” he said.
He rejected the notion that Ukraine’s security should depend primarily on Moscow’s willingness to cooperate.
“I think it more depends on the US, on their will, because they are leaders of security,” Zelensky said.
Negotiators in Abu Dhabi discussed several potential formats for security guarantees, with Kyiv awaiting further responses from Washington and Moscow.
The talks also addressed the possibility of a trilateral meeting at the leaders’ level to resolve sensitive questions, including territorial disputes, that negotiators lack the authority to settle.
“Such sensitive questions, if we want to decide them and not merely discuss them, need to be discussed at the level of leaders,” Zelensky said.
Zelensky said the Abu Dhabi negotiations also covered proposals for a broader ceasefire, including halting attacks on energy facilities, critical infrastructure and targets at sea.
However, Russian representatives said they lacked the authority to respond to those proposals, according to Zelensky.
“The Russian side says it has no mandate to answer these questions”.
Zelensky said the American delegation had agreed to raise the unresolved issues directly with Putin during Thursday’s meeting in Moscow.
Washington is also seeking Moscow’s agreement to expand the negotiating format to include European representatives.
Kushner is expected to raise the proposal directly with Putin in Moscow, as European governments seek formal participation in discussions affecting Ukraine’s sovereignty and the continent’s security.
European representatives attended meetings around the Abu Dhabi negotiations but were not formally included in the core trilateral talks.
Zelensky welcomed what he described as a more positive US attitude toward Europe’s involvement, insisting that European countries must have an equal voice in shaping any settlement.
“This war is in Ukraine, this war is in Europe, and ending this war without Europe’s participation would be unfair and, frankly, impossible,” he said.
He urged European leaders to select specific representatives before the end of November rather than remain on the sidelines of US-mediated negotiations.
Despite his doubts about Moscow’s intentions, Zelensky said Kyiv would continue pursuing a diplomatic solution, while standing firm on Ukraine’s sovereignty and the need for credible guarantees against renewed Russian aggression.
Sevinj Osmanqizi is an experienced journalist who writes extensively for Kyiv Post on foreign policy, international security and geopolitics. Based in Washington, D.C., her work focuses on Ukraine, Russia’s war and the broader post-Soviet space.
«Spotlight» features partner stories, sponsored content, and commercial collaborations published separately from Kyiv Post’s independent editorial coverage.
Web links to Kyiv Post material are allowed provided that they contain a hyperlink to the stories and only a brief extract (not more than 10 percent) of the text.
Online media registration number: R40-05383
All materials, including photographs, contained on this site are protected by copyright law and may not be reproduced without the prior written permission of BIZNESGRUPP TOV at [email protected] . All Interfax-Ukraine news agency stories cannot be reproduced or distributed in any form without written permission of Interfax-Ukraine.
Open article →