Witkoff and Kushner meet Putin in Moscow, Kyiv visit planned next

US President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and the president's son-in-law Jared Kushner met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Saturday evening. The American diplomats arrived in the Russian capital around 1pm Latvian time on a flight from Helsinki, and were greeted at the airport by Putin's special envoy Kirill Dmitriev.

Before the talks, the American delegation had to wait several hours, as Putin spent the day attending the opening of a new Moscow metro line, taking part remotely in the opening of an oil terminal in Siberia, and meeting with candidates from the ruling United Russia party.

A proposal to end the war

On Friday, Trump told reporters that the envoys were bringing a proposal to end the war, though its contents have not yet been disclosed. Ahead of the meeting, Putin said the talks would be difficult, as he intended to present his own view of the course of the war. The Russian leader also sent his best wishes to Trump and noted that Witkoff and Kushner had earned Moscow's trust, saying it was comfortable working with them.

Witkoff, for his part, thanked Putin for the reception at the Kremlin, calling the meetings with him among the most memorable of his life. At the start of the talks, Putin said he was doing everything possible to ensure the American envoys had a safe journey.

Pause in strikes during the visit

Ukraine announced it would refrain from air strikes on Moscow while the US envoys are visiting Russia and Ukraine. The Kremlin, in turn, said Putin had ordered a three-day halt to attacks on Kyiv.

Witkoff and Kushner are expected to travel to Kyiv on Sunday — which would mark their first visit to the Ukrainian capital. Since Trump's return to the White House, the two have visited Moscow multiple times but had not yet been to Kyiv.