Putin Holds Three-Hour Talks With Trump’s Envoys on Ukraine War

Moscow — Russian President Vladimir Putin engaged in a three-hour meeting on Saturday with United States special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, marking another significant diplomatic push to address the ongoing war in Ukraine. The talks took place at the Kremlin in Moscow.

Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov characterized the discussions following their conclusion as substantive, constructive, and exceptionally candid. According to a statement released by the Kremlin, the dialogue was conducted in a spirit of trust. Ushakov noted that the Russian side provided comprehensive assessments regarding the developments of the special military operation.

President Donald Trump has previously indicated that the envoys were arriving with a new ceasefire proposal for Ukraine. It remains unclear whether the latest offering diverges significantly from previous attempts at de-escalation. Reports suggest Putin continues to maintain demands for territorial concessions in Ukraine, positions that Kyiv has consistently deemed unacceptable.

The US delegation is scheduled to travel to Kyiv on Sunday to present these observations to Ukrainian officials. Ushakov stated that Putin confirmed his intention to continue working with the Americans to seek political and diplomatic solutions. Witkoff and Kushner promised to utilize the insights gained directly from the Russian president during their upcoming contacts in Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine would refrain from targeting Moscow with drones and missiles during the envoys’ visit this weekend. He has urged Russia to reciprocate this restraint while the US officials are in Kyiv.

Before the negotiations began, Putin expressed gratitude and best wishes to President Trump, according to video footage distributed by the Kremlin. He described the situation as difficult but necessary to address during the negotiations. Following the session, Kirill Dmitriev, Russia’s special representative for investment and economic cooperation, shared farewell photos on social media depicting himself with the US envoys in front of a US government aircraft, captioning the post as an “important peacemaking visit.”