In a fresh attempt to rekindle peace efforts in Ukraine, US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner engaged in extensive talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. The meeting, lasting over three hours, is part of Washington’s initiative to explore new avenues for resolving the ongoing conflict. According to the White House, the discussions centered on potential strategies for advancing towards a settlement, with more information expected to be revealed in the coming weeks. Following their Moscow visit, Witkoff and Kushner are set to travel to Kyiv for discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The Kremlin indicated that various proposals were considered during the talks, although no significant progress was reported. President Putin restated Russia’s stance that the root causes of the conflict must be addressed, asserting that Russia continues to make gains on the battlefield. Meanwhile, Zelenskyy linked recent Russian strikes on Kyiv and Boryspil International Airport to the US negotiators’ arrival, suggesting a strategic response from Ukraine to counter Russia’s aerial tactics.
Efforts to restart peace negotiations come after previous attempts failed to achieve a resolution. Ending the war remains a key foreign policy goal for President Donald Trump, who recently highlighted a new proposal carried by Witkoff and Kushner aimed at resolving the conflict. However, the divide between Moscow and Kyiv persists, with Russia’s insistence on controlling certain territories and opposing Ukraine’s NATO ambitions clashing with Ukraine’s outright rejection of these conditions.
As hostilities have intensified, both nations have ramped up long-range drone and missile attacks. Russian assaults have targeted Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, while Ukraine has retaliated by striking Russian military sites, energy facilities, and oil refineries to diminish Moscow’s military capacity. This latest diplomatic initiative by Washington seeks to bridge the substantial differences between the two sides even as combat continues along the approximately 1,250-kilometer frontline.