US envoys meet Putin in Moscow for Ukraine talks

US President Donald Trump’s top negotiators have met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, as efforts to end the war in Ukraine gather pace.

Footage released by the Kremlin showed Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner being greeted by Putin, who said the current situation “is not so easy”.

Witkoff thanked Putin for agreeing with Ukraine to halt strikes on each other’s capitals for three days. On Sunday the envoys will travel to Kyiv for more talks – their first such visit to Ukraine’s capital.

On Friday, Trump said Witkoff and Kushner were “bringing with them a proposal to end the war”. So far, efforts by the US and its allies to broker a peace deal have failed.

At Saturday’s talks in the Kremlin, Putin also said that “whatever happens, such contacts are undoubtedly always useful”. He also thanked Trump for his peacemaking efforts.

He told the envoys that he was “comfortable” working with them, adding: “Of course on our side there is quite a high level of trust during this work.”

The talks – held behind closed doors in Putin’s official residence in the heart of the Russian capital – lasted for three hours

Details are still emerging, but Putin adviser Yuri Ushakov described the talks as “constructive, extremely frank”.

“The talks were not limited to an exchange of views on resolving the Ukrainian crisis – economic issues and potential major, mutually beneficial Russian-American projects were discussed in considerable detail,” he said.

Ushakov also said “note was made of the Russian army’s tangible advances in the combat zone” and that there was acknowledgement that talks needed to address “the root causes of the conflict”.

Despite an escalation of Russian missile and drone strikes on Ukrainian cities including Kyiv, Russian ground forces have made very slow advances for most of the conflict, incurring enormous casualties. Russia still controls about one-fifth of Ukrainian territory – areas that it seized back in 2022.

Zelensky said earlier on Saturday that he had spoken to the envoys, who have “already begun working with the Russian side today”.

“The plan for tomorrow’s diplomatic engagements in Kyiv, involving the US team, has been approved. We are waiting for Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner and are ready for a substantive conversation,” he added.

“From now through the end of Saturday, as well as on Sunday and Monday, Ukraine is ready to refrain from strikes on Moscow, and we expect the Russians to do the same regarding Kyiv.”

Russian state media reported that Putin had ordered a halt to strikes on Kyiv for three days due to the US visit.

In televised remarks, Putin said Russia had not agreed to a ceasefire for the rest of Ukraine outside of the capital.

The Russian president said he would “ensure the security of the negotiating process” and of the mediators.

Kushner and Witkoff have visited Russia several times but the talks on Sunday would be the first in Ukraine. It is not clear how the US envoys will be travelling from Moscow to Kyiv.

Ukraine’s airspace has been closed since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Reuters

Delegations from Ukraine have attended talks in the US over the past 18 months.

Earlier on Saturday, Zelensky said Russia had fired “demonstrative” strikes on airports in Kyiv and Boryspil overnight ahead of his planned meeting with the US.

Ukraine’s president added: “Clearly, these Russian strikes on the airports are a reaction to the discussions and preparations for the possibility of the US side using an aircraft to travel to Ukraine and land at Kyiv Airport or Boryspil Airport.”

Zelensky said on Friday he would guarantee the safety of Russian airspace during the envoys’ visit and called for Russia to do the same for Ukraine.

He also said an overnight Russian strike on a civilian building in the Dnipro region killed four people and injured five others.

Witkoff and Kushner’s visit to Moscow comes just over a week after a rare visit to the Russian capital by the head of the CIA, John Ratcliffe.

There was no official comment from Washington or the Kremlin on what was discussed. Speaking last week, Trump described the meeting as “semi-routine”.

Last year, the US, Ukraine and Russia separately suggested that a deal to end the war was edging closer following a flurry of talks brokered by the Americans.

European allies also held talks in Paris but discussions ultimately ended without a breakthrough. Key disagreements remain between the warring sides on issues such as territory and security guarantees for Ukraine.

In recent months, both Russia and Ukraine have intensified their aerial attacks as fighting continues.

Ukraine said it has struggled to repel ballistic missileattacks due to a lack of interceptor missiles, while Kyiv has focused its strikes on Russian economic infrastructure targets.

War in Ukraine
Volodymyr Zelensky
Jared Kushner
Russia
Ukraine