In a bid to rejuvenate stalled peace efforts in Ukraine, US peace envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner engaged in over three hours of discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. The White House reported that these talks were aimed at formulating concrete steps towards a potential resolution, with more details anticipated in the coming weeks. Following their meeting in Moscow, Witkoff and Kushner were scheduled to travel to Kyiv to hold discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Kremlin representatives noted that the dialogue included various proposals for a possible settlement, though there was no indication of any significant progress. During the discussions, Putin reiterated Russia’s stance that the fundamental causes of the conflict need to be addressed and asserted that Russia is achieving progress on the battlefield. Meanwhile, President Zelenskyy suggested that the arrival of the US negotiators might have triggered recent Russian strikes on Kyiv and the Boryspil International Airport. He also cautioned that Ukraine would modify its military strategies in response to Russia’s aerial incursions.
The US has been striving to rekindle negotiations after earlier peace attempts failed to yield a conclusive agreement. Ending the war has been a key foreign-policy objective for President Donald Trump, who recently stated that Witkoff and Kushner were presenting a new proposal aimed at resolving the conflict. Nevertheless, substantial differences persist between Moscow and Kyiv. Russia remains firm in its demands for control over certain territories and opposes Ukraine’s NATO aspirations, positions that Ukraine has firmly rejected.
As the war intensifies, both sides have ramped up long-range drone and missile strikes. Russian offensives have targeted Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, while Ukraine has focused its attacks on Russian military installations, energy sites, and oil refineries in an attempt to undermine Moscow’s military efforts. The current diplomatic initiative comes as Washington endeavors to close the considerable gaps between the two factions, with hostilities continuing along the approximately 1,250-kilometer frontline.