Putin’s Position on Ukraine Remains Unshaken

More than three hours of talks between Vladimir Putin and two U.S. envoys produced no visible breakthrough on ending the war in Ukraine. Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner presented several ideas for settling the conflict, according to Putin’s aide Yuri Ushakov, but he gave no further details.

Putin told the envoys that Russia was making real progress on the battlefield and had no doubt it would achieve its goals. He also stressed that any settlement would need to remove what he described as the conflict’s main causes.

The Russian side praised Donald Trump’s efforts. Putin said the U.S. president had continued trying to help reach a settlement despite finding himself in a difficult situation. Ushakov described the talks as especially useful and said they went beyond a routine exchange of views on Ukraine. The discussions also covered economic issues and possible major joint Russian-American projects.

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The talks went beyond the usual exchange of views on settling the crisis in Ukraine. Economic issues and possible major joint projects between Russia and the United States were discussed in considerable detail. Overall, the talks took place at the right time and were particularly useful for both countries.

A White House spokesman called the talks substantive and said further steps would be announced in the coming weeks. Witkoff and Kushner did not immediately comment. They left Moscow soon after the meeting and were expected to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Sept. 6.

The positions of Moscow and Kyiv remain sharply opposed. A source close to the Kremlin previously said Putin still sought to seize large areas of territory. After the talks, the Kremlin said his position from two years earlier remained firm: Ukraine must hand over all territory in four regions claimed by Russia and abandon its plans to join NATO.

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Understanding that he is in a difficult situation, he is nevertheless continuing his efforts to help achieve a settlement and contribute to resolving the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.