Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and senior adviser Jared Kushner held a three-hour closed-door meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on Saturday, marking a significant diplomatic step ahead of planned discussions with Ukrainian leadership.
While details remain sparse, both sides issued broadly positive statements. Putin’s adviser, Yuri Ushakov, characterized the talks as “constructive” and “extremely frank,” noting that discussions extended beyond the Ukrainian crisis to include economic cooperation and potential Russian-American projects.
Ushakov acknowledged Russia’s “tangible advances” on the battlefield and emphasized the need to address the conflict’s root causes. However, despite escalated missile and drone strikes on Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, Russian ground forces have made only slow progress since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022, retaining control of approximately one-fifth of Ukrainian territory seized in 2022.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated he was prepared for “a substantive conversation” as the US envoys prepare to travel to Kyiv. It remains unclear how they will reach Ukraine, as Russian airspace has been closed to commercial and likely diplomatic flights since the invasion commenced.
The diplomatic engagement follows intensifying aerial warfare, with Ukraine reporting difficulties repelling ballistic missile attacks due to shortages of interceptor missiles. Kyiv has increasingly targeted Russian economic infrastructure, particularly oil installations, in response.
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