MOSCOW, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin met with U.S. special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Moscow on Thursday, reiterating the Kremlin's opposition to the deployment of foreign troops in Ukraine.
Witkoff expressed hope that the meeting would pave the way for a new round of multilateral talks involving European representatives.
Putin said the presence of any foreign troops on Ukrainian territory would be absolutely unacceptable to Russia, as it would threaten Russia's national security. He warned that such troops would be considered legitimate targets for Russian forces.
Putin said it was important to hear Witkoff's assessment of the recent trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi and the prospects for further Russia-Ukraine negotiations, particularly from a European perspective, given Witkoff's contacts with European representatives.
On territorial issues, Putin said the Ukrainian side's proposal concerning so-called "gray zones" could lead to disputes and undermine any agreement.
He stressed that Russia would recognize only the state border as the line of demarcation with Ukraine, warning that discussions about "gray zones" could give rise to differing interpretations and disagreements.
Witkoff said U.S. President Donald Trump had asked him to convey the importance of ending the conflict in Ukraine as soon as possible.
Kushner said he hoped the meeting would provide an opportunity to explore possible ways to end the conflict. He added that European representatives had expressed a willingness to participate in negotiations and help bring about a lasting peace.
A two-day round of trilateral talks involving Russia, the United States and Ukraine concluded Wednesday in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. The parties reached an agreement on a large-scale exchange of prisoners of war but remained deeply divided over key issues, including ending the conflict, territorial disputes, security guarantees for Ukraine and Europe's future security architecture. ■
