RismadarVoice Reporters
September 6, 2026
United States special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have held more than three hours of talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow as the Trump administration renews efforts to broker an end to the Russia-Ukraine war.
The meeting, which took place on Saturday, was described by Kremlin officials as substantive, constructive and useful, although no breakthrough or agreement was announced. The envoys subsequently travelled to Kyiv for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said Witkoff and Kushner presented several ideas concerning possible routes towards a settlement. He did not disclose details of the proposals but said the discussions also covered economic issues and potential areas of cooperation between Russia and the United States.
The talks come as Russia and Ukraine continue to conduct long-range missile and drone attacks against each other, while diplomatic efforts have struggled to produce a lasting ceasefire.
US President Donald Trump said the envoys had been sent with a proposal aimed at ending the conflict, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
However, the positions of Moscow and Kyiv remain significantly different.
Russia has continued to demand major territorial and security concessions from Ukraine, including changes to Ukraine’s NATO ambitions and control over territories claimed by Moscow. Ukraine has rejected demands to surrender territory and has continued to seek security guarantees from the United States and other Western allies.
Putin has also maintained that any settlement must address what Moscow describes as the “root causes” of the conflict.
The US delegation’s presence in Moscow comes after months of stalled diplomacy, with the Trump administration’s attention also diverted by the war involving Iran.
The renewed diplomatic effort has included contacts with Russian officials and discussions over sanctions and economic issues. The presence of US Treasury official Gene Lang, who oversees sanctions policy, has raised the possibility that economic measures against Russia were among the subjects discussed.
Russia and Ukraine also agreed to temporarily halt attacks on each other’s capitals to facilitate the envoys’ diplomatic movements. The arrangement does not amount to a broader ceasefire, however, and fighting has continued elsewhere.
ENVOYS ARRIVE IN KYIV
Following their Moscow meeting, Witkoff and Kushner arrived in Kyiv on Sunday for their first known visit to the Ukrainian capital as part of the current peace initiative.
Zelenskyy has said Ukraine is prepared to engage constructively but has stressed the importance of meaningful security guarantees and a settlement that does not require Kyiv to surrender territory.
The US envoys’ Kyiv visit is intended to allow Washington to hear Ukraine’s position after discussions with Putin and assess whether there is sufficient common ground for further negotiations.
Despite the renewed diplomatic activity, there is no indication that Moscow and Kyiv have resolved their fundamental differences.
The latest talks therefore represent another attempt to restart negotiations rather than a confirmed breakthrough towards a peace agreement.
The conflict remains active, with both sides continuing military operations even as Washington seeks to establish a framework that could eventually lead to a broader ceasefire and political settlement.
