In Moscow, Witkoff and Kushner Ask Putin to Include Europe in Peace Talks

President Trump’s envoys went to Moscow on Thursday to seek agreement from President Vladimir V. Putin to bring Europe into talks on the war in Ukraine, as the Kremlin pushes to widen the negotiations to overhaul European security arrangements.

The envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, arrived in Russia one day after mediating peace talks in Abu Dhabi between Russian and Ukrainian representatives, who spoke directly for the first time in nine months. After meeting with Mr. Putin in the Kremlin, they were scheduled to travel to Dublin to meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine.

Mr. Witkoff and Mr. Kushner are pressing to involve Europe in the talks as Russia makes clear that it will not consider a cease-fire until its broader demands to redraw Europe’s security architecture are addressed.

The Trump administration, seeking a foreign policy win after Republicans’ drubbing in the midterm elections, is making another push for peace even as Russia gives no indication that it will stop the war anytime soon, and in fact appears to be hardening some positions.

Russia has intensified attacks on Ukrainian cities ahead of a winter bombing campaign, taking advantage of Ukraine’s lack of air defenses. On Thursday, Mr. Zelensky said that Ukraine’s armed forces again faced restrictions on Starshield, the military version of the satellite internet network Starlink, and had asked U.S. officials for information.