During the meeting, as noted by Putin's assistant Yuri Ushakov, the American representatives informed the President of Russia about their impressions and assessments from Trump's recent negotiations with Zelensky, which took place in Davos, as well as from meetings held in December and January in Florida and other European cities.
Ushakov also added that the main topic of the negotiations was to determine the next steps based on the information received. He stated that the next stage would be the first meeting of a trilateral working group on security issues, which will involve representatives from Russia, the USA, and Ukraine. This meeting is scheduled for January 23 in Abu Dhabi.
The Russian delegation has already been formed, and specific instructions have been given by Putin, Ushakov noted. The delegation is headed by the chief of the GRU, Igor Kostyukov, and includes representatives from the Ministry of Defense.
Additionally, a meeting will take place in Abu Dhabi between Witkoff and the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, Kirill Dmitriev, who lead the bilateral working group on economic issues.
Ushakov emphasized that the negotiations in the Kremlin were constructive and candid, and noted their trusting nature.
Moreover, the Russian side reiterated that without resolving the territorial issue, it is impossible to achieve a sustainable resolution of the conflict. "As long as this issue remains open, Russia will continue to pursue its goals during the special military operation," Ushakov added.
During the meeting, Trump's proposals for the creation of a "peace council," a number of regional issues, and the situation around Greenland were also discussed. Ushakov reported that Moscow proposed to allocate $1 billion from frozen Russian assets in the USA to the budget of the "peace council." According to him, the remaining funds could be used for the restoration of territories affected by hostilities after a peace treaty is signed between Russia and Ukraine.
So far, the White House has not made any official statements regarding the outcomes of the meeting in the Kremlin.
Donald Trump, returning from Davos, noted in a conversation with journalists aboard Air Force One that both Putin and Zelensky expressed a desire to reach an agreement and end the conflict.
The American delegation landed in Moscow on Thursday evening, and shortly after 11:00 PM local time, news broke about the start of the meeting between Putin and the American representatives.
In addition to Putin, his assistant Yuri Ushakov and special representative for investment and economic cooperation with foreign countries Kirill Dmitriev participated in the negotiations.
The American delegation, besides Witkoff and Kushner, included Josh Grünbaum, commissioner of the Federal Procurement Service of the General Services Administration of the USA, who had not been previously mentioned in the context of this meeting.
This is already Witkoff's and Kushner's first visit to Moscow this year; their previous meeting with Putin took place in December of last year. Witkoff had previously visited Moscow five times unaccompanied.
In Davos, there was also a meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The Ukrainian leader expressed doubts about his visit to Switzerland, pointing out that the key issue for Trump would be Greenland, not Ukraine. Due to disagreements between Trump and European leaders, as reported by the Financial Times, the signing of the "prosperity plan" for Ukraine was postponed.
No specific statements were made following the meeting with Zelensky.
Zelensky briefly reported on his social media about discussing the progress of negotiations on a peace agreement and US assistance for Ukrainian air defense with Trump. Later, he added that he was returning from Davos with certain agreements regarding a new aid package but did not specify with whom these agreements were reached.
Trump expressed optimism about the meeting with Zelensky, noting that all parties wish to end the conflict. "We'll see how things go," he added.
After the meeting with Trump, Zelensky spoke at the World Economic Forum, criticizing Europe's indecisiveness and calling for active actions against Russia. "In Europe, there are endless disputes that hinder the fight against Russia, which brings destruction," he noted.
Zelensky also announced the first trilateral meeting of representatives from Ukraine, Russia, and the USA, which will take place in Abu Dhabi on Friday and last for two days.
"This is better than no dialogue," the Ukrainian president noted.
The Ukrainian delegation will consist of five members: Umerov, head of the President's Office Kirill Budanov, his first deputy Sergey Kyslytsia, head of the "Servant of the People" faction David Arakhamia, and chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Andrey Hnatov.
Witkoff also confirmed that negotiations at the working group level will take place in Abu Dhabi, adding that discussions on ending the war have progressed and focused on "literally one issue," although he did not specify what it was about.
Zelensky reported in Davos that the document on security guarantees from the USA is ready; however, agreements on territorial control have not yet been reached. Moscow insists on the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from all territories of Donbas, including those areas that have not been occupied by Russian troops, which Ukraine considers unacceptable.
In November, consultations took place in Abu Dhabi between US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and Russian representatives, while the Ukrainian delegation, led by Budanov, contacted both Russian and American delegations.
