Putin will end war only on his terms as Moscow hardens demands — Bloomberg

U.S. President Donald Trump's special representatives, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on September 5 for a three-hour discussion on the conflict in Ukraine. However, the Kremlin has not indicated any willingness to relinquish its military goals in the region. According to anonymous sources familiar with Kremlin thinking, Putin is only prepared to end the war if he is on comfortable ground terms.

Moscow's demands have become increasingly stringent due to its confidence in its military advantage over Ukraine, analysts noted. Samuel Charap, a senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation, called Witkoff and Kushner's visit timely because the conflict is rapidly accelerating, and the sides will likely continue to escalate if left unchecked.

A European diplomat also questioned the order of visits, stating that diplomacy works best when the U.S. first engages with its allies. The European Union's ambassador to Washington, Jovita Neliupšienė, emphasized that for Europeans, the top priority remains providing Ukraine with the resources to defend itself. After their meeting in Moscow, Witkoff and Kushner traveled to Kyiv, their first visit to the Ukrainian capital.