US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow as Washington seeks to revive diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. The high-level meeting took place at the Kremlin on Saturday, with the American delegation carrying a new proposal intended to help bring the conflict to an end.
Putin described the situation in Ukraine as difficult but praised US President Donald Trump’s efforts to find a settlement. Trump has said the two envoys were carrying a proposal to end the war, although the details of the plan have not been publicly released.
The Moscow meeting comes as fighting between Russia and Ukraine continues, with both sides carrying out long-range drone and missile attacks. Despite the renewed diplomatic activity, major disagreements remain over territory, security guarantees and Ukraine’s future relationship with NATO.
Russia has maintained its demand that Ukraine give up territory in four regions claimed by Moscow and abandon its NATO ambitions. Ukraine has rejected such conditions and has repeatedly opposed surrendering territory captured or occupied during the war.
As a temporary goodwill measure surrounding the talks, Russia announced a three-day pause in strikes against Kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also said Ukraine would refrain from striking Moscow through Monday. The limited pause is intended to create safer conditions for the diplomatic discussions, rather than representing a broader ceasefire.
Witkoff and Kushner are expected to travel to Kyiv after their Moscow meetings. It will be their first visit to the Ukrainian capital during this peace effort, giving them an opportunity to hear directly from Ukrainian officials.
The latest diplomatic push offers a possible opening for negotiations, but significant obstacles remain. Whether the US proposal can narrow the gap between Moscow and Kyiv could determine whether the renewed talks lead to meaningful progress toward peace.
