U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow for closed-door talks, which a Kremlin aide described as "constructive, extremely frank." The discussions, held at Putin's official residence, lasted three hours and reportedly touched upon economic issues and potential Russian-American projects, in addition to the conflict in Ukraine.
Following the meeting, the U.S. representatives expressed hope for "equally productive meetings" in Ukraine. Details of the Moscow discussions are still emerging, but both sides have offered broadly positive remarks.
Putin's adviser, Yuri Ushakov, noted that the talks addressed "the root causes of the conflict" and acknowledged "the Russian army's tangible advances in the combat zone." However, reports indicate that despite recent escalations in aerial attacks by both Russia and Ukraine, Russian ground forces have made slow advances and incurred significant casualties throughout the conflict. Russia currently controls approximately one-fifth of Ukrainian territory, areas seized in 2022.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated he was ready for "a substantive conversation" as the U.S. envoys prepared for their trip to Kyiv. The logistics of the journey from Moscow to Kyiv are unclear, given that Ukraine's airspace has been closed since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Recent months have seen intensified aerial attacks from both nations. Ukraine has reported difficulties repelling ballistic missile attacks due to a shortage of interceptor missiles, while Kyiv has focused its strikes on Russian economic infrastructure, particularly oil installations. This diplomatic engagement follows a period of heightened military activity.