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Witkoff, Kushner meet Putin in Moscow
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
US envoys Witkoff and Kushner met Putin in Moscow for three hours on Saturday. The visit aims to revive stalled peace talks in the fifth year of war.
Background
The war in Ukraine, which began with Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, has continued into its fifth year. Previous diplomatic efforts, including a January visit by Witkoff and Kushner to Moscow, stalled after U.S.-backed peace negotiations froze following a U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran. The envoys are now seeking to restart negotiations, with a planned visit to Kyiv next.
How it unfolded
- Sep 5, 2026Witkoff and Kushner arrive in Moscow, met at Vnukovo airport by Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev.
- Sep 5, 2026Putin meets with Witkoff and Kushner for three hours at the Kremlin; talks described as 'substantive, constructive, exceptionally candid' by Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov.
- Sep 6, 2026Envoys are expected to travel to Kyiv for talks with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said the discussion was 'substantive, constructive, exceptionally candid, and conducted in a spirit of trust.'
- Official
- Ukrainian President Zelenskyy welcomed the visit, saying 'We need to look for realistic options on how to bring this war to an end.'
Still unverified
Moscow did not publicly respond to Zelenskyy's proposal for a reciprocal halt to strikes during the envoys' visit.