MOSCOW – Russian President Vladimir Putin held substantive, constructive, and "extremely frank" talks with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Moscow on Saturday. Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov described the meetings, which lasted over three hours, as "highly useful" for both sides, though he did not indicate any immediate breakthroughs in resolving the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

During the discussions, which included formal sessions and informal dinner, the U.S. envoys presented several ideas for a potential settlement to the protracted war. Putin, in turn, reiterated Russia's progress on the battlefield and expressed confidence in achieving its objectives, emphasizing the need to address the "root causes" of the conflict. Ushakov stated that Putin reaffirmed Russia's readiness to continue working with the United States towards political and diplomatic solutions.

The talks extended beyond the scope of the Ukraine crisis, with both sides delving into economic issues and exploring potential "major, mutually beneficial Russian-American projects." Ushakov characterized the negotiations as timely and highly beneficial, noting that both heads of state would maintain personal contact, and engagement through Witkoff and Kushner would continue.

Ushakov also confirmed that the U.S. envoys pledged to convey Putin's assessments and observations regarding a durable peace settlement during their subsequent meetings in Kyiv with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The envoys departed Moscow following the talks and were scheduled to meet with Zelenskyy on Sunday.

The U.S. delegation, which included officials from the National Security Council, State, and Treasury departments, met with Putin to advance U.S. President Donald Trump's efforts to end the war, which has now entered its fifth year. A White House official indicated that "substantive plans" for future steps were discussed and are expected to be announced in the coming weeks, expressing anticipation for equally productive discussions in Ukraine.

Putin had previously ordered a three-day pause in strikes against Kyiv to coincide with the visit of the U.S. envoys, a move that underscored the high-stakes nature of the diplomatic engagement.