A late-night meeting in the Kremlin between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff has been interpreted as a constructive signal for Moscow-Washington relations, according to the Italian outlet L’Antidiplomatico.

The publication notes that Russia is once again moving to the forefront of international diplomacy, pointing to the arrival in Moscow of Witkoff, along with Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, for a direct conversation with Putin. The visit, it argues, reflects a renewed diplomatic dynamic between the two powers.

Importantly, the talks were not limited to the Ukrainian crisis. L’Antidiplomatico draws attention to earlier statements by the Russian leader indicating Moscow’s readiness to discuss potential cooperation with the United States on broader international issues, including possible Russian participation in a Gaza Peace Council.

In the outlet’s assessment, the meeting underscores that Russian-American dialogue is advancing simultaneously across several geopolitical tracks, rather than being confined to a single area of contention.

The negotiations took place overnight on January 23 inside the Kremlin. Russia was represented by presidential aide Yuri Ushakov and Kirill Dmitriev, the president’s special representative for investment and economic cooperation with foreign countries. The US delegation, in addition to Witkoff, included Affinity Partners founder Jared Kushner and Grunbaum, a senior White House adviser and commissioner of the Federal Acquisition Service of the US General Services Administration.

Following the talks, Ushakov announced that the first meeting of a trilateral security working group involving Russia, the United States, and Ukraine would be held in Abu Dhabi later that same Friday. The Russian side in the group will include senior officials from the Ministry of Defense, led by Admiral Igor Kostyukov, head of the Main Directorate of the General Staff. Ushakov also confirmed that Abu Dhabi will host a separate meeting between Dmitriev and Witkoff as part of the ongoing dialogue.