DistantNews
Support us
🇮🇪 Ireland /Conflict & Security

Kremlin calls Ukraine talks with US envoys ‘highly useful’ but signals no breakthrough

From RTÉ News · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Newswire Named sources Ongoing story
  • Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said Vladimir Putin held more than three hours of talks with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner about possible ways to settle the Ukraine war.
  • Ushakov said the discussions also covered economic issues and potential Russian-American projects, but disclosed no details and reported no breakthrough.
  • The envoys left Russia for Kyiv, where they were due to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, while Moscow and Kyiv retained sharply different positions.

The Kremlin described more than three hours of talks between Vladimir Putin and two US envoys as “highly useful,” but offered no sign that the meeting produced a breakthrough in efforts to end the war in Ukraine.

highly useful

· Yuri UshakovThe Kremlin aide’s description of Putin’s talks with the US envoys.

Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner had outlined several ideas about possible avenues for a settlement. He did not say what those ideas were. Ushakov said Putin told the envoys that Russia was making “real progress” on the battlefield, remained confident it would achieve its goals, and believed the conflict’s “root causes” had to be addressed.

Ushakov said the meeting went beyond exchanging views on the war. The sides discussed economic issues and potential major Russian-American projects that could benefit both countries. Kirill Dmitriev, Putin’s investment envoy, later described the visit on X as an “important peacemaking visit.”

real progress

· Vladimir PutinPutin’s assessment of Russia’s battlefield position, as relayed by Ushakov.

Witkoff and Kushner were visiting Russia for the first time since January on behalf of US President Donald Trump. They left soon after the talks and were due to meet Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv. Putin praised Trump’s efforts at the start of the meeting, saying the US president had continued seeking a settlement despite entering a difficult situation.

important peacemaking visit

· Kirill DmitrievDmitriev’s description of the US envoys’ visit in a post on X.

The talks took place as Russia and Ukraine continued long-range air strikes, while front lines remained largely static. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin had ordered the Russian military not to strike Ukraine for three days during the envoys’ visit. Zelensky said Ukraine was prepared to refrain from strikes on Russia through the following day. The meeting followed a period of intensified attacks, including Russian missile and drone strikes on Kyiv and Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries, oil terminals, and warehouses.

Understanding that he is entering a difficult situation, he nevertheless does not stop his efforts to help bring about a settlement and to make his contribution to resolving the Russian-Ukrainian conflict

· Vladimir PutinPutin’s praise for Donald Trump’s efforts to end the war.
About this summary

Originally published by RTÉ News in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

More Stories

From Our Blog