U.S. President Donald Trump's envoys arrived at the Kremlin on Thursday (November 12, 2026) 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 the Russian and Ukrainian delegations.
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Washington → arrive → delegations
Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who is also Mr.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.
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push → broker → peace
The talks wrapped up on Wednesday (November 11, 2026) with an agreement on a large exchange of prisoners, with the exact number still to be agreed.
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number → wrap → prisoners
The talks produced no visible breakthrough in ending the nearly five years of large-scale hostilities, which began on February 24, 2022, after the fighting initially started in 2014 in eastern Ukraine.
But Mr. Kushner and Mr. Witkoff appeared keen to seize the moment and went straight to the Kremlin.
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Kushner → produce → Kremlin
Mr. Kushner said that one of the goals of the meeting with Mr. 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.
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which → say → arrangements
The U.S. and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy are looking for Europe to appoint a single person to negotiate with Moscow.
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Europe → look → 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.
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which → want → negotiations
Moscow complains that Europe is financing and supplying weaponry to Ukraine and is part of the problem holding up a deal.
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Europe → complain → deal
Many in Europe see the inclusion of Russia in discussions about European security as an unwelcome concession to Mr. Putin, who has described NATO's eastward expansion as a top security threat to his country.
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who → see → country
Moscow has demanded that the trans-Atlantic alliance's troops be pulled back from Russia's borders.
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troops → demand → 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.
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that → say → governments
After meeting with Mr. Putin, Mr. Kushner said that he and Mr. Witkoff will fly to Dublin, Ireland, to meet later on Thursday (November 12, 2026) with Mr. Zelenskyy, who is attending a meeting of more than 40 European countries that also includes NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.
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that → meet → Rutte
Mr. 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.
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Democrats → say → deal
“The political landscape in Europe could change in 2027...
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landscape → change → 2027
we also see changes already taking place in the United States," Mr. Zelenskyy said in Dublin late Wednesday (November 11, 2026).
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Zelenskyy → see → Dublin
"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.”
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those → involve → 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.
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that → say → peace
Russia and Ukraine have occasionally swapped prisoners, but both sides remain far apart in their terms for accepting a settlement.
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sides → swap → settlement
Along with post-conflict security guarantees for both countries, another key obstacle to an agreement is the fate of Russia-occupied Ukrainian territory.
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obstacle → occupy → territory
Fighting continues along the 1,200-km front line, and negotiators warn that the path to peace will be long.
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path → continue → peace
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 “weaponisation of winter”.
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Kyiv → stick → winter
Russia and Ukraine are battering each other with long-range missiles and drones.
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Russia → batter → missiles
Russia's Defense Ministry said that air defences downed 71 Ukrainian drones overnight.
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defences → say → drones
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.
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forces → say → 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.
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strikes → say → forces
A Russian military serviceman was killed in St. Petersburg early Thursday (November 12, 2026) when his vehicle exploded, according to Russia's Investigative Committee, the country's main criminal investigation agency.
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vehicle → kill → Committee
It didn't name the victim or say who could be behind the bombing.
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who → name → bombing
Fontanka news outlet said that the victim was a colonel and an explosive device in his car went off as he drove off.
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he → say → car
Several senior officers have been killed by bombings and other attacks that Russia has blamed on Ukraine.
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Russia → kill → Ukraine
Kyiv has claimed responsibility for some attacks on Russian soil.
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Kyiv → claim → soil
The Aporia
