Russian President Vladimir Putin met with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on September 5 to discuss ways to end the war in Ukraine for over three hours. Both Russia and the United States described the talks as "very beneficial" and "substantial discussions," but no signs of a breakthrough on key issues emerged.
According to Reuters, following the meeting, Yuri Ushakov, a foreign policy advisor to the Kremlin, stated that the U.S. side presented several ideas regarding possible solutions to the conflict. He noted that discussions went beyond simple exchanges of opinions on resolving the Ukraine crisis, delving into economic issues and potential major mutually beneficial U.S.-Russia projects. Overall, he assessed the negotiations as timely and very beneficial for both sides.
However, he reported that President Putin expressed confidence in the Russian military's "substantial progress" on the battlefield and reiterated the need to address "all root causes" of the conflict to achieve peace. The "root causes" mentioned by Russia include Ukraine's NATO membership and territorial claims over regions in Ukraine.
The Kremlin did not disclose specific details of the talks. Reuters assessed that a breakthrough in peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine has yet to be achieved.
Significant differences remain regarding the end of the war between Russia and Ukraine. President Putin continues to insist that Ukraine must cede control of four regions claimed by Russia and abandon its NATO membership plans. In contrast, Ukraine maintains that it cannot relinquish territory it has defended at great cost.
Nonetheless, the visit by the U.S. presidential envoy team is seen as the most important attempt this year to revive peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. A White House official told Reuters that the meeting was "substantial" and that further steps would be announced in the coming weeks. Witkoff and Kushner left Moscow shortly after the talks and are scheduled to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on September 6.
Meanwhile, as both sides continue to escalate long-range missile and drone attacks, President Putin reportedly ordered the Russian military to suspend attacks on Kyiv for three days in light of the U.S. envoy's visit.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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