- Putin met US envoys for over three hours in Moscow.
- Russia made battlefield progress, halted Kyiv strikes on request.
- Discussions also covered economic matters; envoys now head to Kyiv.
Russian President Vladimir Putin held more than three hours of talks with US Presidential Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner in Moscow on Saturday, with the Kremlin describing the discussions as “highly useful” but giving no indication of a breakthrough in efforts to end the Ukraine war.
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said the US envoys presented Putin with several ideas on possible ways to reach a settlement, though he did not disclose details, Reuters reported.
Putin told Witkoff and Kushner that Russia was making “real progress” on the battlefield and remained confident of achieving its goals, while stressing that any settlement would have to address what Moscow describes as the “root causes of the conflict”.
The Russian president had earlier welcomed the US delegation at the Kremlin and asked them to convey his best wishes and gratitude to Trump.
Putin Stresses Trust In Mediation
Putin described the situation being discussed as difficult but said Moscow was ready to present its assessment of the conflict. He also asked the US envoys to convey his “best wishes and words of gratitude” to Trump.
Putin further said that contacts between the two sides were beneficial and emphasised the importance of trust in those involved in mediation.
“In any case, of course, no matter what happens next, contacts of this kind are certainly always beneficial. And here, of course, the quality of mediation and trust in those who are engaged in it are very important,” Putin told the US envoys.
“I’d like to tell you that we find it comfortable to work with you, and, of course, we have a very high level of trust during this work,” he added.
Witkoff thanked Putin for receiving the delegation and conveyed Trump’s greetings. He also thanked the Russian president for endorsing a temporary suspension of strikes in Kyiv and Moscow, saying it allowed the US delegation to travel safely.
Russia Says Strikes On Kyiv Halted
Putin said Russia had received an official request through intelligence and diplomatic channels to stop strikes on Kyiv and that he had subsequently issued an order.
He said Russian strikes on Kyiv had not been carried out since midnight on Sept. 5, while claiming that Ukraine had significantly reduced strikes on Russian territory, including Moscow.
Putin said Ukrainian authorities had publicly called for a broader three-day truce but maintained that Moscow had not agreed to such an arrangement with Kyiv.
He nevertheless said Russia would do everything possible to ensure the safety of the negotiation process and the mediators.
Economic Issues Also Discussed
Ushakov said the talks went beyond the Ukraine conflict and included economic matters and potential major Russian-American projects.
“The negotiations were timely and highly useful for both sides,” Ushakov said.
Putin’s investment envoy Kirill Dmitriev, who also attended the meeting, described the visit as an “important peacemaking visit” in a post on X.
There was no immediate comment from Witkoff or Kushner following the talks.
US Envoys Head To Kyiv
Witkoff and Kushner travelled out of Moscow soon after their meeting and are due to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Sunday.
US President Trump had confirmed on Friday that the two envoys would travel to Moscow and Kyiv as part of Washington’s diplomatic efforts to advance a peace proposal.
“So I sent Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the two great negotiators. They’ve done a great job,” Trump said, adding that there could be “a good chance” of reaching an agreement.
Zelenskyy has also said Kyiv was ready to observe a temporary ceasefire in airstrikes while the US delegation conducted consultations.
The latest talks come after more than four and a half years of war, with both sides intensifying long-range airstrikes in recent weeks while the front lines have remained largely static.
