US envoys Witkoff, Kushner meet with Putin to discuss ending Russia-Ukraine war; visit Kyiv on Sunday: What we know | Today’s news
US President Donald Trump’s envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday (local time) to discuss ideas for ending the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Here’s what we know about the meeting
According to a report by Axios, US envoys want to resume direct talks between the two adversaries after talks were suspended about six months ago, with fighting escalating before the winter. During the three-hour meeting, Putin reportedly told Witkoff and Kushner that he had “full confidence” in US mediation between Moscow and Kyiv.
Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s foreign policy adviser, told Russian reporters that Witkoff and Kushner “made serious preparations for this trip. Not only did they express their traditional interest in a quick end to the fighting, but they also formulated a number of ideas about possible ways of resolution.”
In a statement after the talks, he called the discussion “substantial, constructive, exceptionally frank and conducted in a spirit of trust.” He added: “The Russian side provided a clear and comprehensive assessment of the situation developing during the special military operation,” ABC News reported.
A Kremlin adviser said in a statement about the talks: “Our president confirmed his intention to continue working with the Americans to find political and diplomatic solutions. Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner promised to use the insights and assessments they personally received from the president of Russia regarding the path to a lasting peaceful settlement of the conflict in Ukraine during their contacts in Kiev tomorrow.”
Witkoff and Kushner are seeking to halt the strikes during a planned visit to Kyiv
The two envoys will travel to Kiev on Sunday (local time) and got both Russia and Ukraine to agree to a brief suspension of airstrikes to allow the trip to take place. Following the Russian president’s agreement, US envoys also thanked Moscow for suspending airstrikes during a visit to Kiev and for the release of former US marine Robert Gilman.
Putin said: “We will do everything in our power to ensure the safety of the talks,” noting that a brief halt in airstrikes would begin at midnight Moscow time on Saturday. He added that Ukraine has also reduced strikes.
In a post on X, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had spoken with the US envoys after their arrival in Moscow, adding that Kyiv’s aim was to make the visit “as constructive and substantial as possible”. He wrote: “From the moment of this conversation, we are ready to observe a cease-fire in airstrikes against cities involved in the negotiation process,” adding: “From now until the end of Saturday, as well as on Sunday and Monday, Ukraine is ready to refrain from striking Moscow, and we expect the Russians to do the same regarding Kiev.”
US renews mediation efforts
The meeting between US envoys and the Russian president comes as US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian officials said Witkoff and Kushner were coming up with a ceasefire proposal from Kiev. However, it remains unclear whether the latest ceasefire proposal differs from what was previously offered. While Putin has indicated that his demands for territory in Kyiv remain unchanged, Ukrainian officials say such demands are unacceptable.
