Russian President Vladimir Putin engaged in a three-hour discussion with U.S. special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff on Saturday regarding the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the Kremlin reported. Yuri Ushakov, an aide to the Russian president, characterized the talks as "substantive, constructive, exceptionally candid, and conducted in a spirit of trust."
According to Ushakov, "The Russian side provided clear and comprehensive assessments of the situation developing during the special military operation." He added that Putin "confirmed his intention to continue working jointly with the Americans to seek political and diplomatic solutions." The U.S. envoys reportedly promised to convey observations and assessments received directly from Putin regarding a path toward a lasting peace settlement during their subsequent meetings in Kyiv.
While the specific details of the discussions were not fully disclosed, President Donald Trump and Ukrainian officials had previously indicated that Kushner and Witkoff were carrying a ceasefire proposal from Ukraine. It remains uncertain whether this proposal contains substantial differences from earlier offers, as Putin has recently reiterated his territorial demands in Ukraine, which have been unacceptable to Kyiv.
Kushner and Witkoff were scheduled to hold separate talks with Ukrainian officials on Sunday. Before the meeting with Putin, the Russian president conveyed "best wishes and words of gratitude to the President of the United States, Mr. Trump," as shown in Kremlin-posted video. Putin also described the situation as "difficult."
Following the Moscow meeting, Kirill Dmitriev, the Russian president's special representative for investment and economic cooperation, shared images on social media appearing to show him with Witkoff and Kushner in front of a U.S. government plane, captioning the post "important peacemaking visit."