Putin will discuss Ukraine and the Middle East with US envoys.

Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, said he will meet with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on Thursday to talk about ways to resolve the current conflict in Ukraine and if blocked Russian assets could be used for reconstruction.

Putin confirmed discussions with the U.S. envoys entrusted with finding a settlement to Russia’s nearly four-year conflict with Ukraine during a meeting of the Russian Security Council.

According to Russian news outlets, Putin stated, “This possibility is also under discussion with representatives of the U.S. administration.” The use of frozen Russian cash to support war-affected areas will be the main topic of discussion.

Diplomatic contacts in the Middle East

On Thursday, Putin will meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in addition to the American envoys. The possible distribution of frozen assets to aid Palestinian recovery initiatives will also be discussed with Abbas.

Citing Moscow’s “special relations with the Palestinian people,” Putin underlined that Russia is prepared to contribute $1 billion from these blocked assets if needed.

Trump’s proposal for a board of peace

The Russian leader disclosed that the offer from former US President Donald Trump for Russia to join the planned Board of Peace has been directed to be reviewed by Moscow’s Foreign Ministry.

According to Putin, the proposal’s primary goal is to aid achieve a peace agreement in the Middle East. He said that Russia is carefully reviewing the proposal before formally responding, even though no decision has been made as of yet.

In the midst of tense relations over Ukraine, the meetings represent a rare diplomatic interaction between Washington and Moscow. Russia’s engagement in Middle East diplomacy and Ukraine’s reconstruction efforts may be affected if the talks on the Board of Peace and frozen assets continue.