Trump envoys meet Putin before taking peace push to Kyiv
US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met Vladimir Putin in Moscow for more than three hours on Saturday, carrying what Washington described as plans for the next stage of efforts to end the war in Ukraine, before heading to Kyiv for talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. The White House said the talks covered “substantive plans for next steps” and that it expected to announce them “in the…
Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, envoys of the United States, met with Russian President Vladimir Putin for over three hours in Moscow on Saturday. The discussions centered around plans to end the war in Ukraine, as the White House described them, and covered "substantive plans for next steps." The envoys are scheduled to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Sunday in Kyiv.
The Kremlin did not announce any breakthroughs from the talks. Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov stated that the Americans presented "a number of ideas" for possible routes to a settlement, and Putin shared his assessment of the battlefield and views on what is needed for lasting peace. Ushakov described the meeting as "substantive, constructive, extremely frank and trusting."
The meeting included an informal dinner and discussions on possible Russian-American economic projects. Putin began the meeting with a conciliatory tone, praising US President Donald Trump for pursuing a settlement despite the challenging situation. He emphasized Russia's battlefield successes, expressed confidence in achieving its military objectives, and insisted that any settlement address Russia's concerns about the root causes of the conflict.
The gap between Moscow's position and Kyiv's remains significant. Russia demands Ukrainian withdrawal from the territory it claims and an end to NATO ambitions in Ukraine. The Kremlin reiterated on Friday that Putin's stance on these demands is "unshakeable." The diplomacy is occurring amid an intensifying war; Russia has struck Kyiv with missiles and drones over the past ten days, while Ukraine has targeted Russian oil infrastructure and other deep front targets.
Zelenskiy pledged to refrain from striking Moscow during the envoys' visit and called on Russia to reciprocate. Putin assured the safety of the Americans and announced a temporary halt to strikes on Kyiv during their visit. Witkoff and Kushner departed Moscow after the meeting and are currently en route to Kyiv.
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