A senior Russian official has characterized recent diplomatic meetings between President Vladimir Putin and two American envoys as “highly useful,” signaling a potential thaw in efforts to revive stalled peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.
Yuri Ushakov, who serves as a foreign-policy adviser to the Russian president, confirmed that U.S. representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner presented several proposals during the discussions. According to Ushakov, the American delegation outlined a number of ideas regarding possible avenues for moving forward in the negotiations.
The remarks come as Washington seeks to reengage Moscow in dialogue aimed at ending the ongoing conflict. While the specific details of the proposals remain unspecified, the positive tone from the Kremlin suggests both sides may be open to renewed diplomatic engagement.
The involvement of Kushner, Putin’s son-in-law, and Witkoff, a real estate developer turned diplomat, highlights the informal channels the United States is utilizing alongside official state departments to explore pathways toward a settlement.
‘Highly useful’ is diplomatic code for ‘we didn’t agree on anything yet.’ I’ll believe a deal when I see one.
Interesting to see Kushner and Witkoff handling this informally. Does bypassing the State Dept speed things up or complicate them?
Finally, some movement after months of silence. Let’s hope these talks actually lead to something concrete.