Moscow, Russia, November 12 (ANI): Peace efforts to end the war in Ukraine encountered fresh friction on Thursday as Russian President Vladimir Putin warned U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner that foreign troops deployed in Ukraine would be considered “legitimate targets.” Hours earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed that renewed speed restrictions on the U.S.-operated Starshield network are leaving Ukrainian cities more vulnerable to Russian drone strikes.
The Kremlin meeting, also attended by Russian presidential aides Vladimir Medinsky and Yury Ushakov, along with investment envoy Kirill Dmitriev, followed two days of trilateral negotiations involving Russia, Ukraine and the United States in Abu Dhabi, according to Russia Today (RT).
Outlining Moscow’s conditions for a broader settlement before the talks moved behind closed doors, Putin said he wanted peace in Ukraine to last forever. However, RT reported that he emphasized Russia’s position that only the national border should serve as the dividing line with Ukraine. He acknowledged Ukrainian discussions regarding “grey zones” but firmly rejected the deployment of foreign military personnel.
Citing TASS, RT reported that Putin opened the meeting by asking Witkoff and Kushner to convey his gratitude to President Donald Trump for facilitating direct contact between Moscow and Kyiv, highlighting progress on humanitarian issues. Witkoff said an upcoming prisoner exchange demonstrated forward momentum toward a resolution, RT reported.
Building on those humanitarian efforts, Putin proposed a civilian evacuation mission in Konstantinovka modeled on a recent operation in Alyoshki. He suggested that Russian and Ukrainian human rights commissioners organize the effort, according to RT. Putin said Russian forces controlled Konstantinovka and could ensure the mission’s safety, although they would need five days to clear mines in the area. He added that if Kyiv insisted it controlled the city, it should guarantee security from its side, RT reported.
The talks also addressed the exclusion of Kyiv’s Western European allies from direct negotiations. According to RT, Witkoff said European officials had been briefed on the Abu Dhabi discussions despite not participating at the negotiating table, holding separate consultations with the U.S. and Ukrainian teams.
Kushner told the meeting that European governments wanted to join efforts to end the war and that Washington had begun discussing European security arrangements with them, RT reported.
While Kushner argued that Europe must be included in the process and suggested that European nations select a single representative, Ushakov said Europe had yet to agree on a suitable negotiator, according to RT. Moscow remains open to considering concrete European peace proposals, RT reported, although none have been submitted so far.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that renewed speed restrictions on the U.S.-operated Starshield satellite network in Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine are undermining Kyiv’s ability to intercept Russian drones.
In remarks from his address at the ninth European Political Community Summit, shared on X, Zelenskyy revealed that the network’s speed cap had been reinstated at 161 kilometers per hour, preventing Ukrainian interceptor drones from catching up with Russian jet-powered Shahed drones launched from occupied areas.
“We have detected speed restrictions on Starshield on our Ukrainian territory—in the temporarily occupied parts of Ukraine. The speed limit is back at 161 kilometers per hour—that’s 100 miles per hour,” Zelenskyy said. “This directly affects our ability to intercept Russian jet-powered ‘Shahed’ drones. These drones come from those areas, and because of the speed restrictions, we simply cannot catch up with them in time.”
Zelenskyy explained that Ukrainian fighter aircraft could not operate near the front line, making drone interceptors the only viable defense in those areas.
“Without the speed we need, shooting down these ‘Shaheds’ becomes much harder,” he said, warning that the technical limitation “means more Russian strikes get through, and more of our people are killed by Russia.”
Kyiv is seeking clarification from Washington, but Zelenskyy said Ukrainian officials currently “know very little” about why the restrictions had returned. Ukraine had faced similar slowdowns in October before speeds were temporarily restored.
The Ukrainian leader also described the operational restriction as a troubling political signal regarding U.S. recognition of Ukraine’s borders.
“If someone in America is making decisions that basically treat Ukrainian territory as if it is not Ukrainian, then this tells us where things are going,” Zelenskyy said, emphasizing that allies must remain clear and “never recognize Russia’s occupation of Ukrainian territory in any way.”
Addressing security guarantees for Ukraine, Zelenskyy called for a robust security framework between Europe and Russia, rather than one focused solely on Ukraine.
“When the Americans and Russians talk about security, it’s not just about security guarantees for Ukraine. In fact, it’s more about some kind of new security framework between Europe and Russia. We find this approach a bit strange. Because for 30 years after the Soviet Union collapsed, Europe treated Russia well. And Europe tried to have as much trade as possible, as much cooperation as possible, and as good relations as possible with Russia,” he said.
Criticizing his Russian counterpart’s approach to the conflict, Zelenskyy said Putin’s wars reflected his attitude toward others rather than an unavoidable, permanent confrontation with Europe.
“Putin’s wars are really about only his attitude toward others—not some kind of permanent confrontation with Europe that was impossible to avoid. But still, we hear what we hear today,” he said. (ANI)
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