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US Envoys to Meet With Putin at Kremlin11/12 06:11
U.S. President Donald Trump's envoys arrived at the Kremlin on Thursday for
talks with President Vladimir Putin, as Washington sought to generate new
momentum in peace efforts after two days of U.S.-mediated negotiations between
Russian and Ukrainian delegations.
MOSCOW (AP) -- U.S. President Donald Trump's envoys arrived at the Kremlin
on Thursday for talks with President Vladimir Putin, as Washington sought to
generate new momentum in peace efforts after two days of U.S.-mediated
negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian delegations.
Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who is also Trump's son-in-law, brokered
the talks in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, which were the
first direct discussions between Russian and Ukrainian officials in nine months
as the push for peace stalled this year.
The talks wrapped up Wednesday with an agreement on a large exchange of
prisoners, with the exact number still to be agreed.
The talks produced no visible breakthrough on ending the nearly five years
of large-scale hostilities, which began on Feb. 24, 2022, after the fighting
initially started in 2014 in eastern Ukraine.
But Kushner and Witkoff appeared keen to seize the moment and went straight
to the Kremlin.
U.S. envoys want Europe at the negotiating table, too
Kushner said that one of the goals of the meeting with Putin is to get the
Russian leader's blessing for European representatives to be part of the talks,
which are looking at the continent's broader security arrangements.
The U.S. and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy are looking for Europe
to appoint a single person to negotiate with Moscow.
At the moment, Moscow doesn't want European countries, which are concerned
about Russia's conduct and broader intentions on the continent, involved in the
direct negotiations. Moscow complains that Europe is financing and supplying
weaponry to Ukraine and is part of the problem holding up a deal.
Many in Europe see the inclusion of Russia in discussions about European
security as an unwelcome concession to Putin, who has described NATO's eastward
expansion as a top security threat to his country. Moscow has demanded that the
trans-Atlantic alliance's troops be pulled back from Russia's borders.
Some analysts say negotiators may be looking to grant Russia concessions on
NATO's strategy in return for peace in Ukraine -- a possibility that has
alarmed European governments.
After meeting with Putin, Kushner said that he and Witkoff will fly to
Dublin, Ireland, to meet later Thursday with Zelenskyy, who is attending a
meeting of more than 40 European countries that also includes NATO
Secretary-General Mark Rutte.
Zelenskyy sees a political 'window of opportunity'
Zelenskyy said that political changes, including Democrats taking over the
U.S. Congress in January following the U.S. midterm elections and votes in
France next year, could bring "a window of opportunity" for a peace deal.
"The political landscape in Europe could change in 2027 ... we also see
changes already taking place in the United States," Zelenskyy said in Dublin
late Wednesday. "So today there really is this opportunity, this window of
opportunity, when all those involved in the negotiating process genuinely want
to achieve a result before 2027."
He said that the proposed prisoner exchange was a positive step, but at the
same time he insisted that Ukraine won't give in to demands that it surrender
its territory that has been occupied by Russia in return for peace.
Hopes were low for any significant breakthrough in Abu Dhabi. Russia and
Ukraine have occasionally swapped prisoners, but both sides remain far apart in
their terms for accepting a settlement.
Along with post-conflict security guarantees for both countries, another key
obstacle to an agreement is the fate of Russia-occupied Ukrainian territory.
The fighting continues as another bitter winter approaches
Fighting continues along the 1,200-kilometer (about 750-mile) front line,
and negotiators warn that the path to peace will be long.
Russia's bigger army is stuck on the battlefield by dogged Ukrainian
resistance while its strategic bombing of Ukraine aims to deny civilians heat,
light and running water, sapping public morale in what Kyiv calls a
"weaponization of winter."
Russia and Ukraine are battering each other with long-range missiles and
drones.
Russia's Defense Ministry said that air defenses downed 71 Ukrainian drones
overnight.
The ministry said that Russian forces struck a drone-making plant in Kyiv
and three other facilities producing missile fuel and drone components in the
area around the Ukrainian capital. It said that other strikes hit power
substations in Zhytomyr and a bulk carrier heading to the Black Sea port of
Odesa with cargo for the Ukrainian armed forces.
Russia launched missiles and 123 drones, 73 of them fast-moving jet-powered
drones, at Ukraine overnight, the Ukrainian air force said. Hits were recorded
at 17 locations, it said.
U.S. Starlink problems return for Ukraine, Zelenskyy says
Ukraine is experiencing another slowdown in the U.S. Starshield system --
SpaceX's military-grade version of the Starlink satellite internet service --
that the country needs to defend itself against Russian attacks, Zelenskyy said
Thursday on social media.
Military units have recorded "significant disruptions," including speed
restrictions limiting its drones to 161 kph (100 mph), Zelenskyy said, adding
that a military investigation established that the restrictions weren't random
errors.
Ukraine uses Starlink and Starshield for intercepting Russian drones and
launching its own mid- and long-range strikes.
Last month, limits on Ukrainian drone speeds severely disrupted operations
and alarmed Kyiv officials who fear U.S. support could drop off.
Elon Musk acknowledged that his company SpaceX had throttled the Starlink
internet service in Ukraine for about a week, saying the system couldn't be
used for offensive strikes against Russia.
Russian colonel reportedly killed by a car bomb in St. Petersburg
A Russian military serviceman was killed in St. Petersburg early Thursday
when his vehicle exploded, according to Russia's Investigative Committee, the
country's main criminal investigation agency. It didn't name the victim or say
who could be behind the bombing.
Fontanka news outlet said that the victim was a colonel and an explosive
device in his car went off as he drove off.
Several senior officers have been killed by bombings and other attacks that
Russia has blamed on Ukraine. Kyiv has claimed responsibility for some attacks
on Russian soil.
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