Russian President Vladimir Putin met with U.S. special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner at the Kremlin on Saturday for closed-door discussions intended to revive a stalled push to end the Russia-Ukraine war. The meeting lasted for more than three hours, concluding around 11 p.m. on September 5, according to Russian state news agency RIA Novosti. The diplomatic effort comes as Washington renews attention on the conflict, having previously seen its momentum slow down while U.S. focus was directed toward the war in Iran over the past six months.
Kremlin Talks Aim to Revive Stalled Peace Push
Prior to the delegation’s arrival, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that Washington had an idea for peace
and that his team was bringing a proposal to end the conflict, which is now in its fifth year following the full-scale invasion launched by Russian forces on February 24, 2022. Trump noted from the White House that he sent the emissaries to see if a resolution could be achieved, adding that Putin is not looking to attack NATO territory. At the start of the Moscow meeting, Putin asked Kushner—who is Trump’s son-in-law—and Witkoff to pass along his warm wishes and gratitude to Trump, describing the situation in Ukraine as “not simple.”
Capital Ceasefire and Airport Strikes Amid Diplomacy
To facilitate the diplomatic contacts, both sides agreed to a temporary pause in strikes on each other’s capitals. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told the Tass news agency that Putin ordered a three-day halt to Russian strikes against Kyiv starting at midnight. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine was prepared to halt strikes on Moscow until Monday. Zelenskyy stated that from Saturday through the end of the weekend and into Monday, Ukraine would refrain from striking Moscow and expected Russia to reciprocate regarding Kyiv.
The diplomatic push unfolded against an intensifying air war along the 1,250-kilometer (775-mile) front line, where troops have struggled to make progress. Ahead of the planned pause, Zelenskyy accused Moscow of targeting Kyiv’s Zhulyany and Boryspil international airports overnight, linking the bombardment to discussions regarding the U.S. delegation’s travel plans. Russian forces utilized Iskander-M ballistic missiles and at least 167 drones during overnight strikes, with approximately half of the drones being jet-powered. Additional Russian attacks across Ukraine resulted in casualties and infrastructure damage, including an industrial facility strike in the Dnipropetrovsk region that killed one person and wounded five.
Upcoming Delegation Visit to Kyiv
Following their discussions in Moscow, where they were initially met at the airport by Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev, the U.S. envoys are scheduled to travel to Ukraine’s capital. Ukrainian officials confirmed that both U.S. envoys will visit Kyiv on Sunday, marking their first trip to the Ukrainian capital in the peace process. The last known visit to Moscow by Witkoff and Kushner took place in January, when they also held Kremlin talks with Putin.
Zelenskyy indicated that Ukrainian forces would ensure the normal functioning of airspace to allow the negotiators to arrive safely. Following the meetings in Kyiv and Moscow, the diplomatic outcome remains dependent on the ongoing high-level discussions between the U.S. emissaries and regional leaders.
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