Russia’s Putin meets US envoys to discuss Trump proposal to end Ukraine war

Russian President Vladimir Putin has begun discussions with United States envoys on ending more than four years of war in Ukraine, ahead of their first visit to Kyiv anticipated on Sunday.

Key points

• Putin met Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner – respectively President Donald Trump's special envoy and business ally, and his son-in-law – at the Kremlin on Saturday.
• While Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated he would halt strikes on Moscow "from now" until Monday, the Kremlin remarked it would not strike Kyiv from midnight on Saturday.
• "The Russian president, the commander-in-chief, has given the order from midnight tonight not to strike Kyiv for three days, " Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov remarked.
• Russian strikes on Ukraine on Saturday killed at least seven individuals, including in the Kyiv suburbs, Ukrainian office-holders noted.
• "From now through the end of Saturday, as well as on Sunday and Monday, Ukraine is ready to refrain from strikes on Moscow, " Zelensky remarked on social media.

"Dear colleagues, I warmly welcome you to Moscow. The situation is, of course, not simple, " Putin informed the envoys in a grand Kremlin hall in footage aired by Russian TV.

As Washington tries to revive US-led discussions to end Europe's worst conflict since World War II, both Russia and Ukraine vowed not to strike each other's capitals for three days during the negotiations.

Trump earlier remarked Kushner and Witkoff were bringing "a proposal to end the war".

In Putin's address to the two men, he remarked: "I would like to ask everyone to convey their best wishes and words of gratitude to US President Mr Trump".

Witkoff remarked Trump had sent his best wishes to Putin and ⁠thanked him for ⁠the limited ceasefire during the delegation's visit. Putin remarked ⁠Russia would do its ⁠utmost to ensure ⁠the safety of the mediators.

In practice, the discussions come as the grinding war – which began with a Russian invasion in 2022 – has seen increasing civilian deaths and attacks this summer.

Putin has repeatedly remarked Moscow intends to seize the rest of east Ukraine.

Zelensky – who had offered a truce during the US visits – afterwards stated he had spoken to the US envoys and additionally promised Kyiv would not strike Moscow.

For context, the Ukrainian leader remarked he had spoken to the US office-holders and that he projected them in Kyiv on Sunday.

It will be the first time that Witkoff and Kushner visit Kyiv since Trump returned to office last year with a pledge to resolve the conflict.

In short, russia's Putin meets US envoys to discuss Trump proposal to end Ukraine is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.