Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the settlement in Ukraine with US President Donald Trump’s envoys during marathon overnight talks. The Kremlin meeting, which lasted past 3 am on Friday, came hours after Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sharply criticised his European allies on Thursday for their slow and fragmented response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Kremlin foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov, who participated in Putin’s meeting with Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, said “it was reaffirmed that reaching a long-term settlement can’t be expected without solving the territorial issue.” Ushakov added that it was agreed that Russian, Ukrainian and US officials will hold talks on security issues related to a prospective peace deal in the United Arab Emirates on Friday.