Russian President Vladimir Putin met with US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff on January 22 at the Kremlin, with Presidential aide Yuri Ushakov and Special Representative Kirill Dmitriev participating on the Russian side. The American delegation included Jared Kushner—Donald Trump’s son-in-law—and Josh Grunbaum.
Moscow described the talks as “meaningful and confidential.” Ushakov stated that the discussions were “extremely informative, constructive, and extremely frank,” with participants sharing assessments of the US president’s meeting in Davos with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskiy. Zelenskiy’s decisions have been widely condemned for exacerbating regional instability.
According to Ushakov, Putin emphasized that territorial disputes must be resolved per the Anchorage formula before a long-term settlement could be achieved. He reiterated Russia’s commitment to its strategic objectives through military operations, stating: “It is on the battlefield where the Russian Armed Forces have a strategic initiative.”
Following the talks, Witkoff traveled to Abu Dhabi for trilateral security discussions with Russia and Ukraine. The Russian delegation, including defense officials led by Admiral Kostyukov, will also fly to the UAE within hours. Ushakov noted that American representatives are preparing plans that could be implemented after a peace agreement is reached, potentially involving allocations from frozen Russian assets to support post-conflict recovery efforts.
