Daniel Wolfram
Although both the Russian and American sides are optimistic after talks were held, no real solution has been reached to end the war.
As reported here, on Saturday Russian President Vladimir Putin met with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner for over three hours in Moscow.
They visited on behalf of President Donald Trump to discuss ways to end the war in Ukraine.
According to Reuters, a White House official called the talks “substantive” and said next steps would come soon.
It is unclear what those “next steps” entail.
The peace envoy goes to Moscow
Russian aide Yuri Ushakov was very fond of the dialogue during the marathon meeting between Putin himself and Trump’s handpicked envoys, consisting of his son-in-law Jared Kushner and former business partner Steve Witkoff.
According to Ushakov, Putin said to Kushner and Witkoff that
He stated, “Overall, one can say that the negotiations were timely and highly useful for both sides.” Ushakov added that the envoys “outlined a number of ideas regarding possible avenues for a settlement.” They also discussed economic projects.
During televised remarks, Putin praised Trump’s efforts. “Understanding that he is entering a difficult situation, he nevertheless does not stop his efforts to help bring about a settlement and to make his contribution to resolving the Russian-Ukrainian conflict,” Putin said.
Russia promised a ceasefire. Bombed Ukrainian airports anyway
To protect the diplomats, both countries agreed to pause air strikes against each other. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin ordered the military to hold fire on Kyiv for three days. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy agreed to halt attacks on Moscow through Monday.
That ceasefire turned out not to stick, as Russia bombed Kyiv’s two airports on Friday. That forced Kushner and Witkoff to arrive in Kyiv for talks with Zelenskyy by train.
Despite the indication of a productive meeting at the Kremlin, major disagreements remain. An insider told Reuters that Russia will not stop its war efforts until it takes all of Donetsk.
Military experts doubt Russia can take Donetsk soon, calling such progress unlikely.
Still, Russian businessman and Putin’s investment emissary Kirill Dmitriev praised the meeting as an “important peacemaking visit.”
