U.S. presidential special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held talks with Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on Saturday that lasted more than three hours. The Russian and U.S. sides described the meeting as substantive and useful, but there was no report of a breakthrough in efforts to resolve the war in Ukraine, Reuters reported.
Putin’s aide Yury Ushakov said the talks lasted three hours and 10 minutes and took place in both a working and informal setting. According to him, Witkoff and Kushner presented several ideas on possible ways to reach a settlement, but he did not disclose the content of the U.S. proposals.
“The conversation lasted three hours and 10 minutes, and it was substantive, constructive, extremely frank and trusting,” the Kremlin press service quoted him as saying. “The conversation on extremely serious issues continued in a working setting and in an informal atmosphere at the dining table.”
Ushakov stressed that Witkoff and Kushner had visited Moscow at the direction of the U.S. president “to continue the dialogue on resolving the crisis in Ukraine and discuss other pressing issues.” He noted that this was already their eighth visit to Russia.
According to him, Putin told his interlocutors that Russia was achieving “real successes” on the battlefield, expressed confidence that its objectives would be achieved and stressed the need to eliminate the “root causes of the conflict.” He also conveyed his “best wishes” to U.S. President Donald Trump, thanking him for his efforts “in the context of the Ukrainian settlement and his sincere desire to help achieve mutually acceptable solutions as soon as possible.”
“The talks that took place were not limited to an exchange of views on resolving the Ukrainian crisis; economic issues and possible major mutually beneficial Russian-American projects were discussed in considerable detail. Overall, it can be said that the talks were timely and very useful for both sides.” Ushakov said.
A U.S. representative told Reuters that the talks were substantive. According to him, the sides will announce further steps in the coming weeks.
A source close to the Kremlin, who spoke before reports emerged about the envoys’ trip, said Putin remained intent on seizing more territory, the agency reported.
“There is no chance of reaching an agreement along the front line until Putin completes the capture of the remaining part of Donetsk region,” he said, adding that the Kremlin leader was confident, based on reports from his commanders, that this would happen by the end of the year.
The meeting was Witkoff and Kushner’s first visit to Moscow on Donald Trump’s behalf since January. After the talks, they made no comments and travelled to Kyiv, where they are due to meet Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday.
Axios reported that Gene Lange, the U.S. Treasury official responsible for sanctions policy, accompanied Witkoff and Kushner on the trip. He attended a preparatory meeting with Kirill Dmitriev, Putin’s representative for investment and economic cooperation, but did not take part in the talks directly with the Russian leader.
His participation may indicate that U.S. sanctions against Russia were also discussed during the visit, the publication noted. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent met with his Russian counterpart on the sidelines of a G20 finance ministers’ meeting in Asheville last week and said Washington did not intend to offer Moscow economic relief until the war with Ukraine ends.
