MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin held more than three hours of talks on Saturday with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Moscow as the Trump administration seeks a possible deal to end the war in Ukraine, according to official reports. The meeting covered potential paths toward a settlement, but no major breakthrough was announced after the discussions.
Reports said Witkoff and Kushner presented Putin with several ideas about possible ways to reach a settlement. During the meeting, Putin said Russia was making “real progress” on the battlefield and remained confident it would achieve its military goals. According to reports, Russia and Ukraine have also agreed to a brief pause in airstrikes, while Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed full confidence in U.S. mediation in negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.
The Russian president also emphasized what Moscow describes as the need to address the “root causes” of the conflict. In recent weeks, Russia and Ukraine have increased long-range air attacks, while fighting along much of the front line has remained relatively unchanged. Witkoff and Kushner were in Moscow for the first time since January as representatives of U.S. President Donald Trump.
The two American envoys left Moscow shortly after their meeting with Putin. They are scheduled to travel to Kyiv on Sunday to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as Washington continues efforts to find a path toward ending the conflict. Kirill Dmitriev, Putin’s investment envoy who also attended the meeting, described the visit as an important peace effort in a post on X.
The talks come as the Trump administration continues diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the war. Any agreement would require discussions involving Russia and Ukraine, with major issues including territory, security guarantees and the future of the conflict. The meeting nevertheless signals that Washington and Moscow remain engaged in discussions as U.S. officials seek to explore possible options for bringing the long-running Ukraine war to an end.
