Witkoff, Kushner meet with Putin to discuss Ukraine war

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with U.S. special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner for three hours on Saturday to discuss the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, according to the Kremlin. Kremlin spokesman Yuri Ushakov described the talks as "substantive, constructive, exceptionally candid, and conducted in a spirit of trust" following their conclusion. Russian officials provided clear and comprehensive assessments of the current situation during the "special military operation," the Kremlin representative added.

It remains unclear if the new ceasefire proposal from Witkoff and Kushner differs significantly from previous offers. Putin has consistently stated that his demands for territorial control within Ukraine remain unchanged and are therefore unacceptable to Ukraine's leaders. U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian officials had previously indicated that the envoys would bring a ceasefire proposal with them.

Witkoff and Kushner are set to meet with Ukrainian officials in Kyiv on Sunday. Kremlin aide Kirill Dmitriev posted farewell photos with Witkoff and Kushner at the U.S. government plane, captioning the images as "important peacemaking visit." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had previously agreed not to target Moscow with drones and missiles during the U.S. envoys' visit, urging Russia to reciprocate.