US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on Saturday after arriving in Moscow for renewed talks aimed at ending Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The pair were escorted to the Kremlin for closed-door discussions with the Russian president, in the latest attempt by Donald Trump’s administration to revive stalled peace negotiations.
The meeting lasted more than three hours. Putin’s foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov later described the talks as constructive, frank and useful, but gave no indication that a breakthrough had been reached.
Putin told the envoys that the situation in Ukraine was difficult and asked them to convey his best wishes and gratitude to President Trump. Discussions also covered possible economic cooperation and joint projects between Russia and the United States, according to Ushakov.
The talks took place amid continued aerial attacks by both sides. The Kremlin said Russia would halt strikes on Kyiv for three days from midnight, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine would refrain from attacking Moscow during the negotiations.
Mr Zelenskyy said he had spoken with the American delegation after its arrival and confirmed that Witkoff and Kushner were expected to travel to Kyiv on Sunday. It would be their first visit to the Ukrainian capital as part of the peace effort.
Their journey to Moscow came after months of diplomatic deadlock, with Washington seeking to find a route towards a settlement despite deep differences between Moscow and Kyiv over territory and Ukraine’s future security arrangements.
