MOSCOW, 23 January. Russian President Vladimir Putin's meeting with US presidential special envoy Steve Witkoff and businessman Jared Kushner was extremely substantive, constructive, frank and based on trust, Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov told reporters. The talks, focused on the Ukraine settlement, lasted about four hours. The sides agreed that the first meeting of the Russia-U.S.-Ukraine working group on security issues would be held in Abu Dhabi on January 23. In addition, they discussed the Gaza Peace Council, the Greenland issue and bilateral relations, and agreed to maintain close contact on Ukraine and other issues.
Participants of the meeting
From the Russian side, the meeting was attended by Ushakov and the President's special envoy Kirill Dmitriev. Josh Gruenbaum, a senior White House adviser, attended Putin's talks with US envoys for the first time. He had previously attended lower-level consultations between Russia and the US in Miami, Florida. The negotiators had a pleasant chat before Putin's arrival, a TASS news agency correspondent reported. Photos taken before the meeting show Witkoff, Kushner and Gruenbaum in conversation with Ushakov, Dmitriev and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
Putin received his guests in a ceremonial office in the Senate Palace of the Moscow Kremlin. According to the Russian presidential adviser, the meeting was extremely substantive and constructive. „I would describe it as absolutely sincere and based on trust,“ he said. Ushakov pointed out that the meeting was useful for both sides in all respects. „The meeting, which has just ended in the Kremlin, was useful in all respects, both for us and for the United States. The participants in the meeting agreed that Russia and the US will maintain close contact on Ukraine and other issues,“ he said. The Kremlin adviser noted that Putin's meeting with US envoys was mainly aimed at outlining the next steps at the bilateral level.
On the settlement of the Ukrainian crisis
US negotiators briefed Putin on the results of consultations on Ukraine that took place on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, including a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Vladimir Zelensky. In addition, they „reviewed consultations held in December and January, including meetings in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, and in a number of European capitals.“ „Most importantly, it was reiterated at the president's talks with the Americans that a long-term solution cannot be expected unless the territorial issue is resolved on the basis of the formula agreed in Anchorage,“ the Kremlin adviser noted.
Ushakov stressed that Moscow is genuinely interested „in resolving the Ukrainian crisis by political and diplomatic means“. „Until then, Russia will continue to work consistently to achieve the goals of its special military operation on the battlefield, where the strategic initiative is held by the Russian armed forces,“ he said.
About the meeting in Abu Dhabi
The parties agreed that the first meeting of the Russia-US-Ukraine working group on security issues will be held in Abu Dhabi on 23 January. The Russian delegation will be led by Igor Kostyukov, head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces. The Russian team will travel to the UAE „in the coming hours“. According to Ushakov, the team includes „members of the leadership of the Ministry of Defence“. Putin has already provided the Russian delegation with „specific instructions based on the details of today's conversation.“.
Ushakov noted that „the Americans have done a lot to prepare for the meeting [in Abu Dhabi] and hope that it will be successful and open up the prospects for progress on a range of issues related to ending the conflict and reaching a peace settlement.“ In addition to the trilateral meeting, Abu Dhabi will also host a meeting of the Russia-U.S. Working Group on Economic Affairs, which will be led by Dmitriev and Witkoff.
On the Peace Council, Greenland and relations with the USA
Putin and the US envoys also touched on the Peace Council initiative and „a number of regional issues“, including the situation around Greenland. The bilateral economic affairs group will continue to discuss the idea of using $1 billion in Russian assets frozen by the previous U.S. administration as the country's contribution to the Peace Council, Ushakov said.
According to him, issues related to the further development of Russian-US relations were discussed conceptually, „based on the fact that our countries have great potential for cooperation in various areas“. Ushakov added that „US representatives are already preparing certain plans that could be implemented after the resolution of the Ukrainian conflict.“ Putin's meeting with US envoys This was Putin's seventh face-to-face meeting with Witkoff. They had previously met on December 2, 2025, when their talks, which Kushner also attended, lasted five hours. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin highly appreciates the peace efforts of Trump and his team.
TASS/gnews.cz-jav
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