US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met Vladimir Putin in Moscow for more than three hours on Saturday, carrying what Washington described as plans for the next stage of efforts to end the war in Ukraine, before heading to Kyiv for talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
The White House said the talks covered “substantive plans for next steps” and that it expected to announce them “in the coming weeks”. The envoys are due to meet Zelenskiy on Sunday.
The Kremlin gave no indication of a breakthrough.
Presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said the Americans had put forward “a number of ideas” on possible routes to a settlement. He did not disclose their proposals but said Mr Putin had given Mr Witkoff and Mr Kushner his assessment of the battlefield and his views on what would be needed for a lasting peace.
Mr Ushakov described the meeting as “substantive, constructive, extremely frank and trusting”. He said the discussion continued over an informal dinner and also covered possible Russian-American economic projects.
Mr Putin struck a conciliatory tone at the start of the meeting, praising US President Donald Trump for continuing to pursue a settlement despite what he called a difficult situation.
“Today, we will discuss all its components, all aspects,” Mr Putin said. “We, for our part, are ready to inform you of our view of the situation.”
Gap remains wide
But Moscow’s position on the substance of a deal appeared unchanged.
Mr Putin stressed Russia’s “real successes” on the battlefield, expressed confidence its military objectives would be achieved and insisted that any settlement address what Moscow calls the “root causes” of the conflict, said Mr Ushakov.
The gap with Kyiv remains wide. Russia has demanded Ukrainian withdrawal from territory it claims and an end to Kyiv’s Nato ambitions. The Kremlin said on Friday that Mr Putin’s position on those demands was “unshakeable”.
The diplomacy is unfolding as the war intensifies.
Russia has spent the past 10 days striking Kyiv with missiles and drones, while Ukraine has hit Russian oil infrastructure and other targets deep behind the front. Zelenskiy said Kyiv would refrain from striking Moscow during the envoys’ visit and called on Russia to reciprocate.
Mr Putin said Russia would ensure the Americans’ safety. Moscow also announced a temporary halt to strikes on Kyiv during their visit.
Mr Witkoff and Mr Kushner left Moscow after the meeting and are now heading for Kyiv.
