U.S. special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Moscow and completed a three-hour meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin. The diplomatic visit marks a direct effort by the Trump administration to present a new framework for ending the war in Ukraine.
The U.S. delegation was met at Vnukovo Airport by Kirill Dmitriev, a Russian investment envoy. Dmitriev, along with foreign-policy aide Yuri Ushakov, joined Putin for the high-stakes discussions with Witkoff and Kushner.
During the talks, Putin expressed “full trust” in the U.S.-led mediation efforts. However, following the conclusion of the meeting, the Russian president noted that resolving the situation in Ukraine remains “difficult.” As part of the diplomatic exchange, Special Envoy Witkoff expressed gratitude to Putin for Russia’s recent release of former U.S. Marine Robert Gilman.
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To accommodate the diplomatic mission and ensure the safety of the American negotiators, Putin ordered a 72-hour suspension of Russian military strikes on the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv. The pause took effect at midnight on Saturday. Russian officials emphasized that this suspension is localized to Kyiv and does not constitute a broader, countrywide ceasefire.
In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that Ukraine agreed to reciprocate by pausing its own airstrikes against Moscow through Monday.
With the Moscow segment of the mission concluded, Witkoff and Kushner are scheduled to travel directly to Ukraine on . They will hold talks with President Zelenskyy in Kyiv to deliver the diplomatic proposal and discuss Ukraine’s perspective. If their flight lands successfully, it will be the first international flight to touch down in Ukraine since the conflict began in February 2022.
