President Donald Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner sat down with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow over the weekend, as Washington tries to breathe life back into stalled diplomacy and find an off-ramp to a war that's now past the four-year mark.
Trump's Envoys Meet Putin in Moscow as US Pushes for Ukraine Peace Deal
MarketDash
Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held three-hour talks with Putin, as both sides pause strikes on capitals and Washington hints at 'substantive plans' ahead.
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Three Hours in Moscow
On Saturday, Witkoff and Kushner spent more than three hours with Putin, according to CBS News, going over Trump's proposal for ending the conflict. The White House described the discussions as covering "substantive plans for next steps," with details to be announced in the coming weeks.
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said the American representatives came prepared and laid out "a number of ideas" for a potential settlement. He called the conversation "constructive, extremely frank and trustful," adding that Russia is confident it can achieve its objectives.
Trump had said Friday that he dispatched the two envoys to test whether a deal is within reach. "We have an idea for peace," Trump said. "There may be a good chance that we'll do it."
The timing wasn't accidental. The talks overlapped with a temporary lull in strikes on the two capitals. Putin ordered Russian forces to hold off on hitting Kyiv for 72 hours, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine would refrain from striking Moscow through Monday.
Signs of Movement
This isn't the first hint of progress. On Thursday, Putin sounded cautiously optimistic about a potential peace deal, saying both the U.S. and China were willing to back a settlement. "Is there a chance? In my view, yes, there is," he said, while stressing that Russia and Ukraine carry the main responsibility for ending the war.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha also pointed to a "new dynamic" in peace efforts. In July, Trump offered to help broker a resolution during a call with Putin, which the Kremlin described as "business-like and quite constructive."
Still, the ground truth remains messy. Putin claims Russian forces are "confidently advancing," but Ukraine pushed back on Russia's assertion that it captured Kostiantynivka. Zelenskyy dismissed it as "just another Russian lie" and said his own conversation with Trump was "very good."
So where does this leave things? The White House is promising more details in the coming weeks, and both sides seem willing to keep talking. Whether that translates into a real ceasefire or just another round of diplomatic theater is anyone's guess. But for the first time in a while, there's at least a sliver of momentum.
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