U.S. and Putin’s representatives discuss “concrete” next steps in Ukraine talks, White House says

The White House says U.S. and Russian officials discussed “concrete” plans for the next stage of negotiations aimed at ending Russia’s war in Ukraine. President Donald Trump’s special envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, met Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Saturday for about three hours.

The White House said the plans discussed during the meeting would be announced in the coming weeks. Trump sent the two envoys to Russia and Ukraine as part of an effort to end the war, which the article describes as having lasted four and a half years.

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useful

Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov called the talks “useful” and “very open.” He said the American representatives had prepared thoroughly and had presented several views on possible ways to reach a settlement, beyond expressing the usual interest in ending the fighting as quickly as possible. Ushakov did not provide details of those views.

Trump had suggested on Friday that Washington had a new concrete proposal to end the war, but he did not explain its contents. According to Ushakov, Putin told the envoys that Russia would achieve its goals and that the conflict’s underlying causes had to be addressed. Putin also described the situation in Ukraine as difficult and presented Russia’s assessment of conditions at the front.

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very open

Russia said on Friday that Putin continued to insist on earlier demands, including territorial concessions from Ukraine and abandoning plans to join NATO. Ushakov said Putin and Trump agreed to remain in contact, while the American envoys promised to convey Putin’s views during their subsequent talks in Kyiv.

Witkoff and Kushner left Moscow after midnight and were scheduled to meet Zelenskyy in the Ukrainian capital on Sunday. The article also says Russia has carried out strikes on Kyiv and nearby areas almost continuously in recent weeks, while Putin ordered a three-day pause in strikes during the U.S. delegation’s visit to Ukraine.

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The U.S. representatives had prepared thoroughly for this trip. They not only expressed their usual interest in ending the fighting as quickly as possible, but also presented several views on possible ways to reach a settlement.