U.S. and Russian Diplomatic Meetings in Moscow and Starshield Key Issues

U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are in Moscow engaging in discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin. This follows two days of U.S.-led talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Abu Dhabi, which concluded without significant progress. Putin’s special representative, Kirill Dmitriev, welcomed the U.S. envoys, sharing footage of their arrival.

Putin requested the U.S. representatives to communicate his gratitude to President Donald Trump for facilitating dialogue between Russia and Ukraine, according to Russian media. Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, noted that the Moscow discussions would concentrate on the outcomes of the recent Abu Dhabi talks, which concluded with plans for another prisoner exchange but no substantial steps toward ending the conflict.

“We see some openings and some opportunities,” Kushner stated to reporters. “We’ve conveyed to President Putin and his team that success requires them by our side. They seem receptive to this.”

Following the discussions in Moscow, Witkoff and Kushner are scheduled to travel to Dublin to brief Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on any developments. Zelensky is attending the European Political Community summit in Dublin alongside numerous world leaders.

Zelensky expressed optimism about future negotiations, citing a “window of opportunity” to reach a peace agreement with Russia.

“There truly is this window of opportunity, where all parties involved in the negotiating process could achieve a result by early 2027,” Zelensky said during a press conference with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin.

Despite some progress reported in the Abu Dhabi talks, significant differences persist, particularly regarding territorial issues. Kyiv refuses to concede the eastern Donbas to Putin. As territorial negotiations stall, U.S. mediators are redirecting talks toward post-war security guarantees and reconstruction efforts.

Involving European representatives in future negotiations could be a hurdle. Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky, who led Russia’s Abu Dhabi delegation, criticized European involvement.

“The leadership of several European countries is collectively deceiving the Ukrainian people,” Medinsky stated via Russian state media outlet TASS. “They’re financing and arming one warring party, contributing to civilian casualties.”

Trump remains optimistic about ending the conflict, asserting his belief that it can be concluded upon his return to office in 2025.

While Witkoff and Kushner engaged with Russian officials, Zelensky raised issues about new speed restrictions on Starshield, a military-grade version of Elon Musk’s Starlink service. Ukraine’s military faces “systematic” restrictions impacting drone interception capabilities.

“This aids Russian forces in conducting more precise strikes,” Zelensky noted. “We seek clarity from the U.S. side.”

TIME reached out to the White House and SpaceX for comments. Starlink offers satellite-based Internet, and its military version, Starshield, relies on this network, becoming crucial for Ukrainian drone operations and air defenses. Ukraine complained about speed restrictions affecting critical missions. Conflicting reports emerged regarding the restriction’s origin.

Reuters, citing three U.S. officials, attributed the restriction decision to the White House. However, a senior U.S. official denied any such presidential request.

Addressing the issue, SpaceX CEO, Musk, separated Starlink from Starshield, allocating the latter’s control to U.S. authorities. “Starshield systems belong and are controlled by the U.S. government,” Musk stated on X. “Starlink is commercial, meant for civilian or defensive use, and not for offensive action.”

Musk later clarified that SpaceX imposed usage limits on Starlink due to contract violations by Ukraine, which was denied by Ukrainian officials. “Starlink doesn’t operate over Russian territory, thus can’t support deep strikes,” noted Ukrainian presidential adviser Serhiy Beskrestnov via Telegram.