After a meeting lasting more than three hours on Sunday, they left for Kyiv.
US President Donald Trump’s business partner Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner visited Moscow, hoping to revive negotiations to end the largest conflict in Europe since World War II.
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This summer, the situation in the war escalated sharply, with a significant increase in civilian casualties on both sides.
S. Witkoff and J. Kushner met with V. Putin on Saturday to “encourage President Trump’s peace agenda in the Russia-Ukraine war,” a White House official said in a statement sent to AFP news agency.
“Both sides discussed key plans for further steps, which will be announced in the coming weeks, and expect no less productive meetings tomorrow in Ukraine,” the statement said.
Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov called the negotiations “extremely open” and said the Americans “presented various ideas about possible paths to an agreement,” but did not provide further details.
Russian representatives told the Americans that Moscow is “confident” it can achieve its military goals and occupy the remaining part of Eastern Ukraine, Ushakov added.
Both Russia and Ukraine promised not to attack each other’s capitals for three days to allow these negotiations to take place.
This was the eighth visit of J. Kushner and S. Witkoff to Moscow during the war, but they will visit the Ukrainian capital, which has been devastated by devastating Russian strikes throughout the war, for the first time.
Russian news agency TASS reported early Sunday that S. Witkoff and J. Kushner stopped in Rzeszów, Poland, on their way to Kyiv.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the envoys are expected on Sunday.
Ukraine’s airspace has been closed since February 2022, when Moscow started the war, so visiting leaders travel by train.
V. Putin thanked D. Trump
In comments broadcast before the negotiations, V. Putin said Russia would ensure the safety of the envoys in Kyiv – a city that Moscow has struck with many devastating blows throughout the war.
“We will do everything in our power to ensure the safety of the negotiation process and intermediaries like you,” Putin told S. Witkoff and J. Kushner.
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Earlier on Saturday, V. Putin thanked D. Trump for his persistent efforts to end the war, although it is not “easy.”
Speaking about the envoys’ trip to Kyiv, he said: “No matter what happens next, such contacts are undoubtedly always beneficial.”
D. Trump said on Friday that his envoys are carrying a “proposal” for a ceasefire.
“We have an idea for peace,” he said, without providing any details.
US efforts have so far not brought a breakthrough in the war, and peace initiatives have stalled partly due to Washington’s war with Iran.
Russia has occupied large territories in Eastern and Southern Ukraine, and V. Putin claims that Moscow intends to occupy the remaining part of Eastern Ukraine.
Limited ceasefire
During the negotiations, both Moscow and Kyiv committed to stopping strikes.
“The Russian president, the commander-in-chief, has given the order not to carry out any strikes on Kyiv for three days starting at midnight today,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
V. Zelensky said he spoke with US envoys and also promised that Kyiv would not strike Moscow.
“From now until the end of Saturday, as well as Sunday and Monday, Ukraine is ready to refrain from strikes on Moscow,” Zelensky said.
On Saturday, V. Putin said he “noticed that the Ukrainian side has significantly reduced” its strikes on Russia and Moscow.
However, Kyiv reported that 10 people were killed on Saturday in Russian strikes across the country, including a child and his family members in the Kharkiv region and two people near Kyiv.
V. Zelensky accused Moscow of trying to sabotage the US envoys’ visit with nighttime attacks on two Kyiv airports, as well as on civilian targets.
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