US envoys meet Putin: What’s behind latest diplomacy on Russia-Ukraine war?

US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have held discussions with President Vladmir Putin in Moscow, in what appears to be new efforts by the Trump administration to end the Russia-Ukraine war.

Key points

• In September 2022, Putin proclaimed the annexation of four partially occupied Ukrainian regions – Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.
• CIA director John Ratcliffe visited Moscow last month to meet with Russian intelligence authorities and the US invited Russia's Finance Minister, Anton Siluanov, to a recent G20 gathering.
• Trump is projected to meet Putin next in November during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in China, according to media reports.
• The question remains whether Russia is willing to compromise, remarked Al Jazeera correspondent Yulia Shapovalova from Moscow.
• US authorities from the National Security Council, State Department and the Treasury were additionally part of the delegation.

US President Donald Trump remarked on Saturday that the envoys were bringing "a proposal to end the war" – Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II – and a senior ⁠⁠Russian ⁠⁠official stated it was an "important peacemaking visit".

Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and Witkoff, the US special envoy, are projected to arrive in Kyiv on Sunday, reviving diplomacy when both countries have escalated attacks. Both Moscow and Kyiv confirmed a three-day ceasefire to coincide with the latest trip.

So what's behind the latest initiative by the US envoys and will it support end the war? What was the outcome of the session?

Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov remarked the high-level negotiations were "highly useful" and lasted for more than three hours, according to Reuters.

Witkoff and Kushner "outlined a number of ideas regarding possible avenues for a settlement, " remarked Ushakov, without providing any further detail, but went on that the discussions had been "substantive, very frank and constructive".

Videos show Putin session the US envoys in the famous Red Drawing Room at the Kremlin on Saturday and telling his guests that the situation they are exploring "is, of course, not an easy one".

For context, the question remains whether Russia is willing to compromise, remarked Al Jazeera correspondent Yulia Shapovalova from Moscow. "Moscow demands that Ukraine not join NATO and hand over four Ukrainian regions to Russia, including territories not controlled by Russian forces."

In September 2022, Putin proclaimed the annexation of four partially occupied Ukrainian regions – Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. The move was not recognised by the international community, including the UN. Ukraine has refused to cede territory to Russia.

For context, the Trump administration has ruled out a seat for Ukraine at NATO – which Russia has resisted. Trump had initially been critical of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, but has since mended ties after berating the Ukrainian leader in the Oval Office in February last year.

In August, Trump met Putin in Alaska, but the summit failed to reach a accord to end the war. Why are the US envoys in Moscow?

Witkoff and Kushner have been involved in a number of diplomatic negotiations, including the Iran war, the so-called ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel and the Ukraine-Russia war.

Witkoff was appointed as the special envoy to the Middle East and afterwards assigned the task of helping end the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Kushner additionally played a major role in the 2020 Abraham Accords that saw a number of Muslim countries recognise Israel. The initiative has been criticised for prioritising Arab-Israeli normalisation without addressing the question of a Palestinian state.

In practice, the details of the latest Ukraine peace plan are unclear, but Trump reportedly remarked last week, "we have an idea for peace", without providing any further details.

US authorities from the National Security Council, State Department and the Treasury were additionally part of the delegation. The presence of Treasury official Gene Lang. This person oversees US sanctions policy, including on Russia, indicates that the ongoing financial, economic and trade sanctions on Russia might have been part of the discussions in Moscow.

For context, the Trump administration has ramped up sanctions on Russia aimed at forcing it to end the war. The Iran war has, nevertheless, diverted Trump's and global attention away from the Ukraine-Russia conflict.

Notably, the Iran war has additionally strained transatlantic ties as Trump has accused his European and NATO allies of not helping him in efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. It tehran has employed as leverage in discussions. He has additionally been critical of NATO allies for not sharing the burden of collective defence, particularly against Russian threats.

NATO members from Europe have since stepped up their spending and offered to provide security guarantees to Ukraine after a accord is signed with Russia.

While Kyiv has stepped up drone attacks on Russian energy sites, the latest push comes against the backdrop of deadly Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukraine. What is Witkoff and Kushner's next stop?

They have arrived in Kyiv for their first visit to meet President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

It was their second visit to the Kremlin this year and the eighth since the start of the war. Experts say Ukrainians are sceptical of the US envoys.

"The view in Ukraine that Witkoff, and to some extent Kushner, are most susceptible to accepting Russia's narrative, " remarked Alexey Muraviev, a senior research fellow of defence and strategic studies at Edith Cowan University in Australia.

Witkoff informed Putin that the US president had sent his best wishes and ⁠⁠⁠⁠thanked him for ⁠⁠⁠⁠the limited ceasefire during the delegation's visit. The special US envoy was additionally recorded telling Putin that "we will have all these incredible stories and memories, and yours will be right at the top of it all". The Russian president conveyed his gratitude to Trump and remarked ⁠⁠⁠⁠Moscow would do its ⁠⁠⁠⁠utmost to ensure ⁠⁠⁠⁠the safety of the mediators.

In practice, the choice of words and tone won't sit well with Ukrainians, explained Al Jazeera correspondent Audrey McAlpine from Ukraine's capital, Kyiv.

While the visit there is seen as significant, the interaction between the envoys and Putin is an indication of "that familiarity between Witkoff and Putin", she remarked. Where the war stands now?

Russia and Ukraine confirmed a halt in attacks on each other's capitals until Monday. The no-shoot policy is to ensure the envoys travel to the discussions.

Nevertheless, attacks have been noted in other cities in both the warring countries. While a Ukrainian drone attack killed one person in Russia's Belgorod region, at least seven individuals were killed in Russian attacks on Ukraine.

In recent months, the two sides have intensified drone strikes, killing dozens. Ukraine's production of low-cost, long-range drones has rose the number of attacks on industrial and logistical sites deep within Russia.

While pointing out that Putin is looking for a more long-term strategic agreement, "There are growing concerns about the level of Ukraine's resilience given the collateral damage that the Russian attacks have caused to Ukraine's infrastructure ahead of the incoming winter, " Muraviev remarked.

Although no proof has been published, recent drone incidents documented in a number of European countries have raised suspicions that Russia is responsible. They included a failed drone explosion at Germany's Leipzig airport and a fire at a drone factory in Poland. Why is Trump pushing for a new accord now?

According to The US president has, tens of thousands of residents are dying on both sides every month due to the Ukraine-Russia war. During his re-election campaign in 2024, Trump remarked he would end the war within 24 hours, but that deadline has been revised a number of times.

He has hosted Putin in Alaska and held discussions with Zelenskyy a number of times but has failed to find an agreement to end the war.

Recent steps by the Trump administration are interpreted as an attempt to revive relations between the US and Russia after months of stalled diplomacy.

CIA director John Ratcliffe visited Moscow last month to meet with Russian intelligence authorities and the US invited Russia's Finance Minister, Anton Siluanov, to a recent G20 gathering. His attendance was criticised by a number of European countries who refused a group photo with the Russian diplomat in protest.

Trump is projected to meet Putin next in November during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in China, according to media reports. Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister, Sergei Ryabkov, remarked on Sunday that Moscow has not ruled ‌‌out a trilateral gathering between the Russian, Chinese and US presidents, the TASS state news agency documented.

Trump's latest diplomatic push comes as the Iran war remains deadlocked and the Ukraine-Russia conflict has turned into a war of attrition. The war with Iran has become hugely unpopular domestically ahead of the crucial midterm elections in November. If Trump's Republican party loses its majority in Congress, it would become extremely hard for the president to push his agenda.

Meanwhile, a peace agreement in the longstanding war in the coming weeks could be a major boost for him ahead of election day.

In short, US envoys meet Putin: What's behind latest diplomacy on Russia is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.