Russian President Vladimir Putin met US Presidential Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner at the Kremlin as Washington pushes ahead with efforts to find a settlement to the Russia-Ukraine war.
The meeting took place in Moscow on Saturday (September 5), with Putin opening the talks by describing the situation before them as “a difficult one”. He also asked the two US envoys to pass on his “best wishes and words of gratitude” to Trump.
“The situation we are to sort out today is, of course, a difficult one,” he said.
“But before we begin, I would like to ask you to convey my best wishes and words of gratitude to the President of the United States, Mr Trump,” he added.
The Russian president said his American counterpart was continuing his efforts to help end the war even as he faced a difficult situation.
“While he realises that he is facing a difficult situation, he nevertheless does not stop his efforts to resolve it and to contribute to the settlement of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict,” Putin said.
“Today, we will discuss all its components and all its aspects, and for our part, we are also ready to inform you about our view of the situation,” he added.
Putin calls for trust in US mediation
The Russian president said Witkoff and Kushner would travel to Kyiv after their Moscow meetings. He described such contacts as useful and emphasised the need for trust between the sides and those involved in mediation.
“In any case, of course, no matter what happens next, contacts of this kind are certainly always beneficial. And here, of course, the quality of mediation and trust in those who are engaged in it are very important,” Putin said.
“I would like to tell you that we find it comfortable to work with you, and, of course, we have a very high level of trust during this work,” he added.
Witkoff thanked Putin for receiving the US delegation and passed on greetings from Trump.
“President Trump sends you his best wishes,” he said.
He also thanked Putin for agreeing to a temporary halt in strikes involving Kyiv and Moscow, saying the move had allowed the US delegation to travel safely.
“I want to thank you for endorsing the no-shoot policy in Kyiv and in Moscow for these three days that allowed us to be able to come here in a safe manner,” Witkoff said.
Putin said Russia had received an official request to stop strikes on Kyiv through both diplomatic and intelligence channels. He said he then ordered Russian forces to halt the strikes.
“We received this request through official channels – both through the intelligence services and through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs – to stop the strikes on Kyiv. I issued the respective order, and since midnight on September 5, these strikes on Kyiv have not been carried out,” he said.
He added that Ukraine had also “significantly reduced – by an order of magnitude – the strikes on the territory of the Russian Federation, including Moscow.”
Moscow says no truce was agreed
Putin said Ukrainian authorities had publicly called for a three-day ceasefire, but said Moscow had not agreed to such a deal with Kyiv.
“The Ukrainian authorities have published their call for a broader three-day truce, but we have never agreed on this with them,” he said.
“Yet we will do everything in our power to ensure the safety of the negotiation process and the mediators, represented by you and, perhaps, by those accompanying you,” Putin added.
The meeting came after Putin ordered a three-day suspension of strikes on Kyiv from midnight on September 5. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced the decision as Witkoff and Kushner arrived in Moscow.
He said the temporary suspension was related to consultations involving the US delegation that were being prepared in Kyiv.
“Russian President Putin, the supreme commander-in-chief, has ordered a three-day suspension of strikes on Kyiv starting at midnight today. This has to do with the Americans’ consultations that are being prepared and will be held in Kyiv,” Peskov told TASS.
Witkoff and Kushner are due to travel to Kyiv after their Moscow visit.
Trump confirmed on Friday (September 4) that he had sent the two envoys to Moscow and Kyiv as part of US efforts to advance a peace proposal aimed at ending the war.
“So I sent Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the two great negotiators. They have done a great job. And we sent them over to see whether or not we can get something done, and there may be a good chance that we will do it,” Trump said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has also said Kyiv was prepared to observe a temporary halt in airstrikes while the US delegation held its consultations.
“I have just spoken with the US President’s envoys. They have already begun working with the Russian side today. From the moment of this conversation, we are ready to observe a ceasefire in airstrikes against the cities involved in the negotiation process,” he said in a post on X.
