Vladimir Putin · Ukraine · Donald Trump · Russia · Axios
Witkoff and Kushner meet with Putin about ending Ukraine war
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President Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin Saturday and discussed U.S. ideas for ending the war in Ukraine.
Key facts
- President Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin Saturday and discussed U.S. ideas for ending the war in Ukraine
- The intrigue: Gene Lange, the acting sanctions czar at the Treasury Department, joined Witkoff and Kushner on the trip
- The trip to Kyiv by Trump's envoys will be the highest-level visit by a U.S. official to Ukraine since President Trump started his second term
- Yuri Ushakov, Putin's foreign policy aide, told Russian reporters afterward that Witkoff and Kushner "made serious preparations for this trip
Summary
Witkoff and Kushner want to resume direct talks between Russia and Ukraine after negotiations were suspended six months ago and the fighting has escalated ahead of winter. Witkoff and Kushner, who are expected to travel to Kyiv on Sunday, got Russia and Ukraine to agree to a short pause in airstrikes to allow the trip to take place. What they are saying: Putin told Witkoff and Kushner at the top of the three-hour meeting that he has "full trust" in the U.S. mediation between Russia and Ukraine. Witkoff thanked Putin for releasing ex-U.S. Marine Robert Gilman and for agreeing to pause airstrikes against Ukraine while U.S. negotiators are visiting Kyiv.