US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are heading to Kyiv on Sunday after spending three hours in closed-door talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin at his official Moscow residence on Saturday. A meeting whose outcome both sides describe in broadly positive but carefully guarded terms.
The White House said the envoys had “discussed substantive plans for next steps” with Putin, adding that they hoped for “equally productive meetings” with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv. An announcement on the outcome is expected in the coming weeks. It will mark the first visit by Trump’s top negotiators to Kyiv. The visit can be tagged a symbolically significant step given that Ukraine’s airspace has been closed since Russia launched its full-scale invasion.
Putin’s adviser Yuri Ushakov described the Moscow talks as “constructive, extremely frank”. Further adding that discussions extended beyond the Ukrainian conflict to include economic issues and potential Russian-American projects. He noted that “the Russian army’s tangible advances in the combat zone” were raised. Also stating that the talks acknowledged a need to address “the root causes of the conflict.”
Russian ground forces have in reality made very slow advances for most of the war at huge costs in casualties. However, Russia continues to hold approximately one fifth of Ukrainian territory.
Zelensky, speaking as the Moscow talks were underway, said he was ready for “a substantive conversation.” Both Putin and Zelensky have agreed to a three-day halt on strikes against each other’s capitals during the visit. The diplomatic push follows months of intensified aerial attacks on both sides.
Whether what was discussed in Moscow and what will be discussed in Kyiv amounts to a genuine path to peace, or not, remains to be seen.
READ ALSO: https://alo360.net/us-envoys-moscow-ukraine-peace-talks-2026/
