U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on Saturday in an effort to revive negotiations aimed at ending Russia’s war in Ukraine. The visit followed months of reduced diplomatic momentum as Washington’s attention shifted toward the conflict with Iran.
Putin described the situation as complicated and asked the envoys to convey his gratitude and good wishes to U.S. President Donald Trump. Witkoff and Kushner were expected to travel to Kyiv on Sunday, marking their first visit to the Ukrainian capital during the peace process.
Ahead of and during the talks, Russia and Ukraine announced limited pauses in attacks on each other’s capitals. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Putin ordered a three-day halt on strikes against Kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine would refrain from attacking Moscow through Monday, provided Russia observed a similar pause.
The diplomatic initiative unfolded amid intensified aerial warfare and little movement along the 1,250-kilometre front. Ukrainian officials reported Russian missile and drone attacks on Kyiv, Boryspil, Dnipropetrovsk, Nikopol and Mykolaiv. Five workers were reported killed at an industrial facility, while several civilians were wounded elsewhere. Russia said it targeted metallurgical plants supplying Ukraine’s military production.
Ukraine also continued long-range attacks on Russian military sites, oil refineries and commercial infrastructure. Russian officials said Ukrainian strikes wounded three people in Belgorod, including a 14-year-old girl. Russia reported intercepting 53 Ukrainian drones, while Ukraine said it shot down or suppressed 128 of 167 Russian drones launched overnight.
The negotiations therefore began against a backdrop of continued casualties, infrastructure damage and mutual accusations. Although the temporary restraint around Moscow and Kyiv created space for diplomacy, skepticism remained in Ukraine over whether any proposal acceptable to both sides could emerge from the meetings. The next phase depends on talks in Kyiv and subsequent responses.