Kremlin: US Presented “a number of ideas” to End War

On Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with two US envoys for more than three hours on ending the war in Ukraine.

A Kremlin adviser described the talks as “highly useful”, but did not suggest that they had led to a breakthrough. Yuri Ushakov stated that the Americans, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, “outlined a number of ideas regarding possible avenues for a settlement” of the conflict. He did not specify what those proposals were.

According to him, Putin told the pair that Russia is making “real progress” on the battlefield and is confident it will achieve its goals. At the same time, he emphasized the need to address “all the root causes of the conflict”.

These are positions that Moscow has long held. In recent weeks, both sides have intensified long-range attacks, while the front line remains largely stable.

An unnamed White House official confirmed that the talks were “substantive” and that further steps would be announced in the coming weeks. Neither Witkoff nor Kushner commented on the talks. Shortly after the meeting, they departed and are scheduled to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Sunday.

“The talks went beyond a mere exchange of views on resolving the Ukrainian crisis. Economic issues and potential major, mutually beneficial Russian-American projects were discussed in some detail”, said Ushakov, adding that the talks were well-timed and very useful for both sides.

However, according to the agency's sources, Russia and Ukraine continue to have very different visions of peace. Ukraine refuses to cede territory, while Russia wants to gain control of the rest of the Donetsk region.

(Reuters, sak)