US Envoys Witkoff, Kushner Meet Putin To Discuss Ending The Russia-Ukraine War To Visit Kyiv On Sunday: What We Know

(MENAFN- Live Mint) US President Donald Trump's envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, held a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday (local time) and discussed ideas to end the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Here's what we know about the meeting

According to an Axios report, the US envoys want to resume direct negotiations between the two adversaries after talks were suspended roughly six months ago, with the fighting escalating ahead of winter. During the three-hour meeting, Putin reportedly told Witkoff and Kushner that he has "full trust" in the US mediation between Moscow and Kyiv.

Quick answers to key questions

.5 QUESTIONS1What did US envoys Witkoff and Kushner discuss with Putin regarding the Russia-Ukraine war?⌵

US envoys Witkoff and Kushner discussed ideas to end the ongoing war in Ukraine, aiming to resume direct negotiations after a six-month suspension of talks.

2Why did Russia and Ukraine agree to pause airstrikes during the US envoys' visit?⌵

Both Russia and Ukraine agreed to pause airstrikes to ensure a safe and constructive environment for the US envoys' diplomatic discussions in Kyiv.

3How might the US envoys' meeting with Putin impact future negotiations with Ukraine?⌵

The meeting could potentially revive stalled peace talks by providing insights and assessments from Putin to the envoys, which they would take to Kyiv for further discussions.

4What is the significance of Kushner's role in the Ukraine peace negotiations?⌵

Kushner's involvement signifies a strategic approach by the White House to deploy trusted intermediaries for sensitive diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving the conflict.

5Should Ukraine accept concessions related to territorial demands to achieve peace?⌵

Ukrainian officials maintain that accepting territorial concessions to Russia would be unacceptable, as it could jeopardize Ukraine's sovereignty and future security.

Also Read | Witkoff and Kushner meet Putin in Moscow to revive Ukraine peace talks

Yuri Ushakov, Putin's foreign policy aide, told Russian reporters that Witkoff and Kushner "made serious preparations for this trip. They not only expressed their traditional interest in a speedy end to the fighting but also formulated a number of ideas regarding possible resolution paths."

In a statement after the talks concluded, he described the discussion as "substantive, constructive, exceptionally candid, and conducted in a spirit of trust." He added, "The Russian side provided clear and comprehensive assessments of the situation developing during the special military operation," ABC News reported.

A statement from the Kremlin aide about the talks said, "Our president 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 from the President of Russia concerning the path toward a lasting peaceful settlement of the conflict in Ukraine."

Witkoff, Kushner seek halt in strikes amid planned Kyiv visit

The two envoys will travel to Kyiv on Sunday (local time) and have gotten both Russia and Ukraine to agree to briefly pause airstrikes to allow the trip to take place. Following the agreement from the Russian President, the US envoys also thanked Moscow for pausing airstrikes during their visit to Kyiv and for releasing ex-US Marine Robert Gilman.

Also Read | Russia-Ukraine war: Zelenskyy proposes ceasefire ahead of US envoys' visit

Putin said, "We will do our utmost to provide for the safety of the negotiations," and noted that the brief halt in airstrikes would begin at midnight Saturday, Moscow time. He added that Ukraine had also reduced its strikes.

In a post on X, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that he spoke with the US envoys following their arrival in Moscow, adding that Kyiv's goal is to ensure the visit is "as constructive and substantive as possible." He wrote, "From the moment of this conversation, we are ready to observe a ceasefire in airstrikes against the cities involved in the negotiation process," and added, "From now through the end of Saturday, as well as on Sunday and Monday, Ukraine is ready to refrain from strikes on Moscow, and we expect the Russians to do the same regarding Kyiv."

US renews mediation efforts

The meeting between the US envoys and the Russian President comes as US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian officials said Witkoff and Kushner were coming with a ceasefire proposal from Kyiv. However, it remains unclear whether the latest ceasefire proposal differs from what was previously offered. While Putin has signalled that his demands for territory in Kyiv remain unchanged, Ukrainian officials have maintained that such demands are unacceptable.

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