Kremlin praises peace talks with Trump's envoys as Witkoff and Kushner prepare to meet Zelenskyy

Moscow has publicly praised the first talks between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump's envoys, calling the visit an important step in a new diplomatic effort to end the war in Ukraine.

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important peace visit

Kirill Dmitriev, a senior Russian government official who attended the meeting, described the trip by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner as an “important peace visit.” He posted the comment on X alongside photographs showing him seeing the two envoys off at a Moscow airport.

Putin spoke with the U.S. delegation for around three hours, according to Russian state media. Witkoff and Kushner brought a U.S. plan “to end the war,” although Trump did not say whether it included Ukrainian territorial concessions. “We have an idea for peace,” the U.S. president said after announcing the diplomatic initiative.

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two great negotiators

Trump called Witkoff and his son-in-law “two great negotiators” and said, “We sent them to see if we can achieve something.” The envoys were expected to travel to Kyiv on Sunday for talks with Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy said they planned to fly there, an unusual prospect because Ukraine's airspace has been closed since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. Western politicians visiting Kyiv have previously traveled by train.

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We sent them to see if we can achieve something.

Before the closed-door meeting, Putin thanked Trump for continuing to seek an end to the war, despite saying that this was “not easy.” Putin also promised to protect the U.S. envoys in Kyiv, saying, “We will do everything in our power to ensure the safety of the negotiation process and mediators like you.” The Kremlin said Russian attacks on Kyiv would stop for three days from midnight, while Russia and Ukraine also committed to refraining from attacks on Kyiv and Moscow during the talks.

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We will do everything in our power to ensure the safety of the negotiation process and mediators like you.