On November 12, Vladimir Putin began a meeting at the Kremlin with U.S. President Donald Trump’s representatives, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, for talks on Ukraine. During the meeting, the Russian president made a series of statements concerning the demarcation line with Ukraine, the situation in Kostiantynivka, and the possible deployment of foreign troops on Ukrainian territory.
This was reported by the Russian propaganda news agency TASS.
Witkoff said that the upcoming prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia indicated progress toward a settlement. According to him, European representatives did not participate directly in the talks in Abu Dhabi but were informed about the contacts.
Kushner said that the United States had begun discussions with European countries about the security architecture on the continent. He also noted that Washington sees European countries’ interest in participating in negotiations and bringing the war to an end.
Vladimir Medinsky, Kirill Dmitriev, and Yuri Ushakov attended the meeting on the Russian side. Putin asked Witkoff and Kushner to convey his gratitude to Donald Trump for organizing contacts between Russia and Ukraine, and to Melania Trump for her involvement in resolving the humanitarian issue in Oleshky.
The Russian dictator claimed that Russia controls Kostiantynivka in Donetsk Oblast and proposed organizing a humanitarian mission following the example of Oleshky. According to him, the Russian side is ready to guarantee the mission’s safety, while the human rights commissioners of Ukraine and Russia could oversee its organization.
He also stated that Russia would need five days to clear mines from the area near Kostiantynivka. Putin added that if Kyiv considers the city to be under its control, it should ensure the safety of the humanitarian mission on its side.
Separately, Putin stated that foreign military personnel on Ukrainian territory would be legitimate targets for the Russian army. He explained that, in his view, the possible presence of foreign troops in Ukraine threatens Russia’s national security. Putin also addressed the demarcation line with Ukraine. According to him, Russia is aware that the Ukrainian side has raised the issue of “gray zones.”
“For Russia, there is only one demarcation line with Ukraine — the state border,” Russian media quoted Putin as saying.
