The envoys were met at Moscow's Vnukovo airport by Kirill Dmitriev, a senior Russian official involved in talks with Washington, according to Russian news agencies. The visit marks the 10th time Witkoff has visited Russia for talks with Putin, RFE/RL reported.
After meeting Putin, Kushner and Witkoff were expected to travel to Ireland, where Zelenskyy was attending the ninth summit of the European Political Community (EPC), hosted by Ireland as part of its rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union.
"President Trump's envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, will have negotiations in Russia tomorrow, and we expect to meet with them by the end of the day here in Ireland," Zelenskyy said on Wednesday, according to Euronews.
The two days of US-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi concluded on Nov. 11 without a ceasefire or peace deal, but with agreement on a large-scale prisoner exchange. Rustem Umerov, head of the Ukrainian delegation, said steps toward a broader peace deal and Ukraine's post-war reconstruction were also discussed, the Kyiv Independent reported.
Kushner told a press conference in Abu Dhabi that he would seek Putin's "blessing" for a direct European role in the talks, Euronews reported.
Zelenskyy, speaking alongside Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin on Wednesday evening, insisted Europe needed to be central to any negotiations. "This war is in Ukraine, and ending this war without Europe's participation would be unjust, and it would be impossible," he said.
He urged European leaders to coalesce around one representative for peace talks by the end of November. "We need to choose who (will) represent Europe, and it's important. We need to choose very concrete personalities, the leaders of Europe, who will represent Europe, and we need to do it in November, because we count that negotiations will continue," Zelenskyy said.
European Council President António Costa and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas would represent Europe in the talks, Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal told AFP on Wednesday. “I would say that we already have agreed on the persons,” Michal said.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni last week sent a strongly worded letter to Costa, criticising the lack of cohesion among European countries over the Ukraine war. Meloni said Europe appears “all over the place” on Ukraine, pointing to multiple meetings and venues that “undermine our credibility in handling one of the most complicated issues our nations are facing,” Euronews reported.
Welcoming Zelenskyy on Wednesday evening, Martin praised the courage of the Ukrainian people and condemned Russia's continuing attacks. "It is barbarous, and it is vile, and I once again offer my heartfelt solidarity to the people of Ukraine and my undying admiration for your unwavering resolve, resilience, and bravery," Martin said.
Arriving in Ireland, Zelenskyy said there could be a "window of opportunity" to end the conflict before 2027. "What's important is that the Americans flew to Putin with specifics. I would very much like them to return to Dublin with specifics," he said, adding that while he was still sceptical "there is hope," France 24 reported.
Hostilities continued overnight, with explosions reported in Kyiv where at least one person was killed, according to officials. Drone and missile strikes were also reported in the Kherson, Rivne, Rostov and Tula regions.
The EPC summit brings together leaders from more than 45 countries and is an informal forum for European heads of state and government. It will be followed by an informal gathering of EU leaders on Friday.