Kremlin calls talks with Trump's envoys constructive, promises to relay Putin's views to Kyiv
The Kremlin described Saturday's talks with Trump envoys Witkoff and Kushner as constructive and candid, saying the Americans will factor in Putin's positions during Sunday talks in Kyiv. The Moscow meeting lasted over three hours.
Yuri Ushakov, aide to Russian ruler Vladimir Putin, said the talks held in the Kremlin on Saturday with US President Donald Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were substantive, constructive and extremely candid, Russian state agency TASS reported.
According to Ushakov, the negotiations lasted three hours and ten minutes. He said the American side had prepared seriously for the trip and presented a range of considerations on possible paths to a settlement.
Pledge to factor in Putin's assessments
Ushakov said Witkoff and Kushner promised that during Sunday's contacts in Kyiv they would take into account the assessments Putin voiced regarding settlement options. He added that Putin and Trump would continue personal contacts, and that mediation efforts by Witkoff and Kushner would also continue.
Broader projects also discussed
Ushakov said the talks were not limited to the war in Ukraine — possible major joint Russian-American projects were also discussed. Overnight, Russian media reported that the plane carrying Witkoff and Kushner had left Russian airspace.
Background
Witkoff and Kushner arrived in Moscow on Saturday and went to the Kremlin after a working lunch with Russian special envoy Kirill Dmitriev. The American negotiators are expected in Kyiv on Sunday. On Friday, September 5, the Kremlin said Putin had ordered a three-day halt to strikes on Kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, after speaking with the US representatives, also said he was ready to observe a ceasefire on air strikes against cities involved in the negotiation process.
