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Trump envoy meets Putin in Russia, urges trilateral negotiations
Confirmed
In Short: US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met with Russian President Vladimir Putin to urge trilateral negotiations involving Ukraine.
US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow to discuss the ongoing Ukraine conflict. Witkoff urged Putin to consider resuming trilateral talks involving Ukraine, Russia, and the United States.
During the meeting, Putin described his position as 'unshakeable,' emphasizing that Ukraine must cede the territories claimed by Russia and abandon its plan to join NATO.
Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov said the talks lasted three hours and 10 minutes, covering the war in Ukraine and potential major Russian-US projects. He described the meeting as 'substantive, constructive, and extremely frank.'
Witkoff and Kushner also met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, where Zelenskyy expressed readiness for renewed trilateral talks.
Trump, who has been pressing Putin to release American Stephen Hubbard, suggested that Zelenskyy should not be involved in negotiations, sparking criticism from many corners.
The envoys heard 'new ideas' from Russia and hope to announce another round of U.S.-mediated Ukraine-Russia talks soon.
Putin said the situation is 'certainly complex' and 'we will discuss all its components.' Russia has described the meeting as 'a small step toward peace,' while Ukraine said it was planning its 'next steps.'
Ukraine fears the U.S. may be giving Russia a chance to fund its war machine through sanctions relief, despite Trump's claims that easing sanctions is a 'great announcement' for diesel prices.
The talks come amid sharply deteriorating relations between Kyiv and Washington, with Ukraine concerned about the U.S. approach to sanctions relief.
No major breakthrough was announced from either meeting, but the discussions are seen as a renewed push to end Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Ukraine said Russia launched 108 drones and missiles overnight, with Ukrainian officials reporting one person killed and at least 10 wounded in attacks across several regions.
What this adds
The meeting's outcome remains uncertain, with both sides expressing readiness for further discussions but no concrete agreements reached.
The envoys' visit to Kyiv and Moscow marks a significant diplomatic effort to address the ongoing conflict, despite the complex territorial disputes and differing positions between Ukraine and Russia.
What's confirmed
- No major breakthrough was announced from either meeting, but Witkoff said the U.S. delegation heard unspecified “new ideas” in Moscow and hopes to announce another round of U.S.-mediated Ukraine-Russia talks soon.
- Russia said its air defenses downed 258 Ukrainian drones overnight.
What's still developing
- Martin O'Donnell, a NATO military spokesperson, said in a statement.
- "They don't have to be in the same room. I guess I can do it another way. It's hard for them to be in the same room. I don't care how it's done," Trump said.
- "This is very important for our people, as we can know when a Russian ballistic missile is incoming. Therefore, this morning began with positive signals from the American side," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
- But Trump already brought that idea into question after reporters in Washington asked him about the prospect of a trilateral meeting.
- "We see these discussions for sanctions relief like significant sanctions relief in the terms of millions and billions of dollars,” he said.
- Kushner explained that while Vladimir Putin outlined Moscow’s territorial demands, Ukraine firmly refuses to retreat, leaving mediators to craft a creative formula that satisfies Kyiv while compelling Russia to end hostilities.
- Territorial disputes remain the central obstacle preventing Ukraine and Russia from reaching an agreement to end the war, US presidential special envoy Jared Kushner said on Sunday during the Yalta European Strategy (YES 2026) forum in Kyiv.
- According to the Kyiv Independent, Russia is seeking relief from U.S. sanctions and has linked the proposed energy truce to these negotiations.
- Trump emphasized that the deal is a "great announcement" for diesel prices, which have remained high despite increased oil flow from the Strait of Hormuz.
- Ambassador Rose Gottemoeller, who negotiated the New START treaty, described her Russian counterparts in an interview with me as “crack negotiators,” extremely well trained, fluent in the negotiating process, technically capable, and often possessing an advantage in language skills.
- Reuters said the talks were aimed at ending Russia's four-and-a-half-year war, but it also reported that the Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov described Saturday's meeting as "highly useful" while a White House official told Reuters that next steps would be announced in the coming weeks.
- Earlier on Friday, Donald Trump announced after the call with Putin that Russia agreed to deliver more than 300,000 tonnes of diesel to American and global markets.