US envoys meet Putin then Zelenskyy as Ukraine talks resume

US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met Russian President Vladimir Putin for more than three hours in Moscow on Saturday in the latest effort by the Trump administration to revive peace negotiations over the war in Ukraine. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov described the discussions as highly useful and constructive while noting that the American side had outlined several ideas for a possible settlement. He added that Putin had emphasized Russia's real progress on the battlefield and the need to address all root causes of the conflict, language Moscow has repeated since its full scale invasion began in 2022.

A White House official called the talks substantive and said next steps would be announced in the coming weeks. Neither Witkoff nor Kushner commented after the closed door session at the Kremlin. The pair left Moscow shortly afterward and arrived in Kyiv on Sunday for their first visit to the Ukrainian capital in their current roles.

The meeting occurred against a backdrop of intensified long range strikes by both sides and largely static front lines. Russian forces have recently deployed jet powered drones while Ukrainian air defenses have intercepted dozens of incoming attacks, including overnight strikes on an oil refinery and airfield. Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky agreed to pause strikes on each other's capitals during the diplomatic push, though the pause has not halted broader aerial operations.

Zelensky told his negotiating team ahead of the Kyiv meetings that Ukraine remains ready for constructive discussion. He said the country needs peace, security guarantees and a just postwar settlement, adding that its proposals are prepared. Ukrainian officials have long argued that any agreement must address Russia's territorial gains and prevent future aggression rather than simply freezing the conflict on Moscow's terms.

The current round of diplomacy follows an earlier visit by the same envoys in January and comes as US attention has been drawn to developments in Iran over the past six months. Kushner, who is also President Trump's son in law, and Witkoff have no formal diplomatic portfolios beyond their appointment by the White House. Their outreach has so far produced no public concessions from Russia, which continues to insist on recognition of its battlefield advances and limits on Ukrainian sovereignty.

Both capitals have offered measured praise for the Moscow session without revealing details. Ushakov noted that economic cooperation and potential joint projects were also discussed. The White House statement focused on forward movement rather than outcomes. Analysts have observed that Russian statements about battlefield momentum have remained consistent even as territorial gains remain incremental and costly.

The envoys are expected to brief Zelensky on the ideas presented in Moscow. Ukrainian officials have stressed the importance of coordinated and realistic talks that deliver lasting security rather than temporary ceasefires. The coming days will show whether the latest US initiative can move beyond the familiar pattern of positive descriptions without concrete progress.