US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Moscow on Thursday to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, before flying to Dublin to brief Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

It follows two days of US-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi on 10 and 11 November, the first direct negotiations between the two sides in nine months. The talks ended without a ceasefire, but with an agreement in principle on a large prisoner exchange, which Kushner called the largest of the war. No figures have been announced.

What the envoys will discuss

Kushner said the envoys saw "all the ingredients needed to reach a deal", and that one aim was to test whether European nations could join the talks. Russia has rejected a role for the European Union, and the Kremlin confirmed Thursday's meeting. The envoys were received at Vnukovo airport by Kirill Dmitriev, the Russian president's special representative, according to the Geneva Times.

Zelensky waits in Dublin

Zelensky, in Dublin alongside Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin, said he hoped for concrete results this year, and that much depended on how the United States approached Moscow. He said there could be a "window of opportunity" to end the war before 2027, while doubting Putin would make progress. He expects the envoys to return from Moscow with concrete proposals.

What was agreed in Abu Dhabi

The one tangible outcome in Abu Dhabi was the prisoner exchange, with Zelensky saying Ukraine expected Moscow to agree to the humanitarian release of up to 1,200 prisoners. Fighting continued during the talks, with Moscow and Kyiv exchanging drone attacks overnight. Around 50 European leaders are gathering in Dublin on Thursday, with the talks set to dominate their discussions.