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Ukraine war: US envoys Witkoff and Kushner meet Putin in Moscow

From Die Presse · () German

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

At a glance

News Official statement Ongoing story
  • US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Moscow for talks with Russian officials on ending the war in Ukraine, with a meeting planned with President Vladimir Putin.
  • The Kremlin said Putin ordered a three-day pause in air attacks on Kyiv, while Ukraine agreed not to threaten Russian airspace during the visit.
  • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian forces attacked Kyiv’s airports before the expected US delegation visit, which was due to be followed by talks in Kyiv.

US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, arrived in Moscow as Washington sought to revive negotiations on ending the war in Ukraine. Their flight landed at Vnukovo airport at 12:52 p.m. Moscow time, where Russian presidential adviser Kirill Dmitriev received them.

A meeting with Vladimir Putin was planned. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin had ordered a three-day halt to air attacks on Kyiv because of the visit. The pause was due to begin at the start of Sunday, and Peskov confirmed that Putin would receive the two US negotiators on Saturday.

Ukraine had agreed not to threaten Russian airspace for three days during the visit. The envoys were expected to travel to Kyiv on Sunday for talks with the Ukrainian side. It would be their first visit there since Russia began its full-scale invasion in 2022, although both businessmen had already visited Moscow several times.

Obviously, these Russian attacks on the airports are a response to the talks and preparations for a possible US aircraft operation in Ukraine, landing at Kyiv airport or Boryspil airport.

· Volodymyr ZelenskyyHe linked the reported airport strikes to preparations for the US envoys’ possible arrival in Kyiv.

The planned Kyiv trip was clouded by reports of attacks on the capital’s airports. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian forces had struck the Shuliany and Boryspil airports, describing the attacks as a deliberate attempt to create uncertainty before the Americans arrived. He said the strikes appeared linked to preparations for a possible US aircraft landing in Kyiv or Boryspil, calling them “Russian-Iranian drones as a response to American diplomacy.”

Civilian air traffic has been suspended in Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion. A safe flight to Kyiv would require Ukrainian authorization and Russian security guarantees. Shuliany is the old airport inside the capital, while Boryspil, about 20 kilometers east of Kyiv, serves as the newer international airport.

Russian-Iranian drones as a response to American diplomacy.

· Volodymyr ZelenskyyHe characterized the reported drone attacks in a social media post about the airport strikes.
About this summary

Originally published by Die Presse in German. 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.

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