Putin calls Ukraine situation difficult as Trump envoys visit Kremlin

Russian President Vladimir Putin met Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Moscow for talks on ending the war in Ukraine. The exchange underscored continuing US-Russia engagement as Washington pushes for a negotiated path forward.

In Short

• Witkoff and Kushner travelled to Moscow for negotiations on ending the conflict
• Witkoff conveyed Donald Trump's best wishes to the Russian president
• He also thanked Putin for agreeing to a ceasefire during talks

Russian President Vladimir Putin met US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner at the Kremlin on Saturday, saying the situation surrounding the Ukraine war remained "difficult" as Washington pushes for a possible settlement.

Putin praised US President Donald Trump's efforts to end the more than four-year-old war, saying Trump had continued his efforts despite entering a difficult situation. Trump said on Friday that the US had presented a fresh proposal aimed at ending the conflict, but provided no details.

"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 at the start of the meeting.

Witkoff and Kushner were accompanied by Putin's foreign-policy aide Yuri Ushakov and investment envoy Kirill Dmitriev, who had met the US officials at the airport before taking them to a restaurant and later to the Kremlin.

LIMITED CEASEFIRE AHEAD OF TALKS

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Putin had ordered Russian forces not to strike Kyiv for three days from midnight on Saturday, coinciding with the US envoys' planned visit to the Ukrainian capital.

Putin said the intensity of Ukrainian attacks on Russia had also declined and pledged to ensure the safety of the US negotiators. However, he said Moscow had not agreed to a broader three-day ceasefire.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he had spoken with Witkoff and Kushner ahead of their visit to Ukraine on Sunday. He added that Kyiv was prepared to refrain from strikes on Moscow through Monday.

VAST GULF REMAINS BETWEEN MOSCOW, KYIV

The talks come amid a wide gap between Russia and Ukraine over how to end the war, Europe's deadliest conflict since World War Two.

Russia's Defence Ministry said 53 Ukrainian drones had been detected in Russian airspace on Saturday, a significant decline from the levels reported in recent months.

A source close to the Kremlin said Putin remained determined to capture additional Ukrainian territory. The source said Moscow saw no possibility of an agreement on the frontline until Russia secured the remaining part of the Donetsk region.

Ukraine has rejected demands to surrender territory it has defended at a heavy cost, arguing that such terms would amount to capitulation.

KREMLIN SAYS POSITION IS UNSHAKEABLE

The Kremlin said on Friday that Putin's demands outlined two years ago remained "unshakeable". They include Ukraine ceding the entire territory of four regions claimed by Russia and abandoning its ambition to join NATO.

Since the previous peace talks in February, both sides have stepped up long-range strikes against targets deep inside each other's territory. Fighting has also intensified at sea.

On the ground, however, the frontline has remained largely static, with Russian forces making gradual gains in their effort to capture the Donbas region.

DRONE WAR HITS RUSSIA'S ECONOMY

Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian oil refineries have contributed to fuel shortages and higher prices for motorists during the summer.

Around 30 attacks on large warehouses, most of them belonging to Russia's biggest online retailer Wildberries, have also disrupted parts of the country's consumer economy.

Despite diplomatic efforts by Washington, the opposing positions on territory and Ukraine's future security arrangements remain major obstacles to a broader peace agreement.

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