Putin floats humanitarian zone in Kostyantynivka as Witkoff and Kushner visit Moscow

Vladimir Putin wants a humanitarian zone in Kostyantynivka. The Russian president pitched the idea Thursday for the Donbass city, modeled on one already set up in Oleshky in southern Ukraine. He said Russia controls Kostyantynivka and that clearing mines there would take five days. He also promised to guarantee the safety of the humanitarian mission.

The proposal landed as two American envoys sat down with him in Moscow. US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived earlier Thursday to push the diplomatic effort to move the Ukraine peace process forward. It comes a day after a trilateral encounter in Abu Dhabi. Putin used the moment to say Moscow wants a permanent peace with Ukraine.

Witkoff, the US Special Envoy for Peace Missions, said European representatives were not in the room for the Abu Dhabi talks but were kept informed. He told Putin he was "happy" that work toward peace had resumed in the trilateral format, and that the Russian and Ukrainian delegations had worked "effectively" over the previous two days. He added that the agreement on the exchange of prisoners represented a step forward.

Europe, meanwhile, is not waiting on the sidelines. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged Putin to "finally agree" to joint discussions on Ukraine, insisting European representatives "must be at the table" for any negotiations. Speaking at the European Political Community meeting in Dublin, Merz said he noted with some satisfaction a growing Russian willingness to accept that Europe cannot be discussed without Europe — "whether it will stay that way remains to be seen," he added.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU is drawing up its 22nd sanctions package against Russia, with a proposal due before the next European Council meeting on December 17 and 18. She welcomed the two-day trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi and said European participation would protect the bloc's interests and support Kyiv at President Volodymyr Zelensky's request. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas was blunter: she said the EU sees no "any goodwill" from Russia, wants a ceasefire agreement first and a peace settlement after that, and argued Europe's security architecture should only be discussed later.