Putin meets with US envoy at Kremlin for renewed talks on ending war in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin convened a meeting with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner at the Kremlin on Saturday to discuss a potential resolution to Russia's war in Ukraine. The two-hour-long negotiation, held behind closed doors, concluded without any announcements of a breakthrough. According to Putin’s foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov, the talks were deemed constructive, frank, and beneficial to the press, though specifics about the outcomes were not disclosed.

Witkoff and Kushner are scheduled to travel to Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, on Sunday. The discussions come amidst a surge in aerial attacks on both sides. President Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy agreed to halt strikes on each other’s capitals during the talks. The truce was observed throughout these discussions.

Washington’s efforts to bring an end to the conflict have seen a decline in momentum as the U.S.’s focus has been largely diverted to the ongoing war in Iran for the past six months. The last recorded visit of Witkoff and Kushner to Moscow was in January, where they held talks with Putin at the Kremlin. This marks Witkoff and Kushner’s first visit to Kyiv on behalf of the United States.