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Putin meets U.S. envoys
Russian President Vladimir Putin met U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner at the Kremlin on Saturday for renewed talks on ending Russia’s war in Ukraine, with the meeting lasting more than three hours and ending without announcements of any breakthroughs.
““substantive, constructive, exceptionally candid, and conducted in a spirit of trust,””
Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov described the talks as constructive, frank and useful, while the Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov also said the discussion was “substantive, constructive, exceptionally candid, and conducted in a spirit of trust.”
The envoys were expected in Kyiv on Sunday, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine would not target Moscow with drones and missiles during the U.S. envoys’ visit this weekend.
The talks came as both sides continued to escalate aerial attacks, and the Kremlin said Putin ordered a three-day pause in strikes on Kyiv starting at midnight Saturday.
ABC News reported that Putin expressed his “best wishes and words of gratitude to the President of the United States, Mr. Trump,” according to video posted by the Kremlin.
Pause on capitals, no breakthrough
During the negotiations, Russia and Ukraine pledged not to strike each other’s capitals for three days, and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin ordered that “no strikes be carried out against Kyiv for three days, starting at midnight today.”
Zelenskyy said Ukraine was ready to refrain from strikes on Moscow through Monday, telling reporters, “From now through the end of Saturday, as well as on Sunday and Monday, Ukraine is ready to refrain from strikes on Moscow.”
Al Jazeera reported that after three hours of talks, senior Russian official Kirill Dmitriev said the envoys’ trip to Moscow was an “important peacemaking visit,” while Kremlin foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov told reporters that “a whole series of ideas for a peace settlement” had been formulated.
At the same time, Al Jazeera said Putin maintained that Russia would not make concessions on key issues and would not negotiate with “terrorists,” framing the discussions against Ukraine’s “escalating drone operations deep inside Russia.”
The BBC said Witkoff thanked Putin for agreeing to halt strikes on each other’s capitals for three days, and Putin told the envoys that “whatever happens, such contacts are undoubtedly always useful.”
What comes next in Kyiv
With the U.S. delegation set to travel to Kyiv on Sunday, the Kremlin said Witkoff and Kushner promised to take Putin’s assessments to their talks in Kyiv, and the Kremlin aide said Putin confirmed his intention to continue working jointly with the Americans to seek political and diplomatic solutions.
“Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner promised to use, during tomorrow’s contacts in Kyiv, the observations and assessments they had received personally”
ABC News reported that President Donald Trump and Ukrainian officials indicated that Witkoff and Kushner were coming with a ceasefire proposal once again from Ukraine, while it remained unclear whether the new proposal substantially differs from what has previously been offered.
Al Jazeera said the talks were expected to revive negotiations as Washington tries to revive talks to end Europe’s worst conflict since World War II, and it also reported that the Kremlin said it was “confident” it can achieve its military goals of seizing the rest of eastern Ukraine.
The BBC added that Putin said Russia had not agreed to a ceasefire for the rest of Ukraine outside of the capital, and it also noted that Russia still controls about one-fifth of Ukrainian territory, areas seized back in 2022.
CNN en Español said Zelensky told the envoys Ukraine was willing to suspend attacks against Moscow until Monday and that “We are waiting for Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner and we are prepared to have a background conversation.”