US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on Saturday, reviving efforts to end the war in Ukraine after months of diminished US focus.
Live updates
Loading updates…
Key facts
- US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on Saturday.
- The talks focused on ending the war in Ukraine.
- The conflict is now in its fifth year.
- President Trump's push to end the fighting has lost momentum, according to CNBC.
- US attention has been focused for the past six months on its war with Iran.
US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on Saturday for renewed talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, according to Al Jazeera.
The meeting marks a fresh effort to revive diplomacy over a conflict that is now in its fifth year. The talks come as previous momentum toward a settlement has faded.
According to CNBC, President Donald Trump’s push to end the fighting has lost momentum in recent months. The outlet reported that US attention has been focused for the last six months on its war with Iran, drawing diplomatic bandwidth away from the Ukraine effort.
The Kremlin meeting brings two of the administration’s high-profile envoys directly into contact with the Russian leader. The presence of both Witkoff and Kushner signals a renewed attempt to re-engage Moscow on ending the war.
The available reporting did not detail the specific proposals discussed, any outcomes of the meeting, or whether further talks were scheduled. Both CNBC and Al Jazeera confirmed the meeting took place on Saturday.
Why it matters
Direct talks between senior US envoys and Vladimir Putin represent one of the most significant diplomatic openings on the war in Ukraine after months of reduced attention. The outcome could shape whether a conflict now in its fifth year moves toward resolution or continues.
Frequently asked questions
Who met with Putin at the Kremlin?
US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on Saturday, according to Al Jazeera.
What were the talks about?
The talks focused on efforts to end the war in Ukraine, which is now in its fifth year.
Why has the US push to end the war lost momentum?
According to CNBC, US attention has been focused for the last six months on its war with Iran, which has drawn focus away from the Ukraine effort.
Timeline
- US envoys meet Zelensky in Ukraine after talks with Putin in Russia
BBC World: Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrive in Kyiv, having held talks with Putin in Moscow on Saturday.
- Kremlin says Ukraine talks with U.S. envoys were useful; no sign of breakthrough
CNBC Top News: Putin reportedly said Russia was making "real progress" on the battlefield, while voicing the need to address "all the root causes of the conflict."
- US envoys set for Ukraine talks after meeting Putin in Russia
BBC World: Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner left Moscow having "discussed substantive plans for next steps" with Putin, according to the White House.
- Trump envoys and Putin discussed ‘next steps’ for ending Ukraine war, White House says
The Guardian World: ‘Substantive plans’ will be announced in ‘coming weeks’ as envoys head to Kyiv for talks with Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy Donald Trump’s envoys “discussed substantive plans for next steps” for ending the war between Ukraine and Russia during their meeting on Saturday
- US envoys Witkoff, Kushner meet Putin for talks on Ukraine war
Al Jazeera: US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on Saturday.
- Putin meets with U.S. envoys at the Kremlin for renewed talks on ending the war in Ukraine
CNBC Top News: Trump's push to end the fighting, now in its fifth year, has lost momentum as U.S. attention has been focused for the last six months on its war with Iran.