US President Donald Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have met Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin as Washington launches another effort to broker an end to the Ukraine conflict.
The pair arrived in Moscow on Saturday local time and are expected to travel on to Kiev carrying what Trump has described as a “proposal to end the war,” although its details have not been made public.
Witkoff and Kushner were welcomed at Moscow’s Vnukovo airport by Putin’s investment envoy Kirill Dmitriev, who has previously held talks with both men in Russia and the United States. They later met Putin at the Kremlin, where the Russian leader thanked them for their involvement and acknowledged Trump’s continuing diplomatic efforts.
Putin said direct contacts of this nature were “always beneficial,” while the American envoys expressed appreciation for the meeting and for Moscow’s decision to suspend strikes on Kiev for three days.
Trump confirmed on Friday that the two negotiators would visit Moscow before continuing to the Ukrainian capital. He offered no details about the peace proposal or what concessions Washington may seek from either side.
The mission follows months of speculation about coordinated visits to Russia and Ukraine. Both Witkoff and Kushner have previously travelled to Moscow during Trump’s current presidency, while their expected trip to Kiev would be their first. Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has publicly complained about the imbalance, arguing that the US negotiators should engage directly with Ukraine as well.
Putin recently described both men as sincere negotiating partners and said they were welcome in Moscow. Witkoff and Kushner have played prominent roles in several of the Trump administration’s international diplomatic initiatives, including previous discussions involving Russian and Ukrainian representatives.
Trump has sought to negotiate a settlement since returning to the White House, but previous attempts have failed to produce a lasting agreement. Momentum generated by his earlier meeting with Putin in Alaska subsequently stalled amid continuing disagreements between Moscow and Kiev over the terms of any settlement.
The latest diplomatic initiative comes against a backdrop of continued fighting. Ukraine has stepped up long-range drone operations against Russian infrastructure in recent months, while Moscow has responded with extensive strikes against Ukrainian military, energy and logistics targets.
The outcome of the Kremlin talks remains unclear, with attention now turning to Witkoff and Kushner’s expected discussions in Kiev and whether Washington’s latest proposal can narrow the substantial differences between the two sides.
