Russian President Vladimir Putin met US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner at the Kremlin on Saturday as Washington continued efforts to find a possible deal to end the war between Russia and Ukraine. Putin described the situation as “difficult” but praised US President Donald Trump's efforts to help reach a settlement.
“Understanding that he is entering a difficult situation, he nevertheless does not stop his efforts to help bring about a settlement and to make his contribution to resolving the Russian-Ukrainian conflict,” Putin said in his opening remarks.
The meeting came a day after Trump said the US had put forward a fresh proposal aimed at ending the war. Witkoff and Kushner are scheduled to travel to Ukraine on Sunday for further discussions.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said in a statement posted on the Kremlin's channel in Max messenger that, Putin had ordered Russian forces not to strike Kyiv for three days from midnight on Saturday, coinciding with the US envoys' visit to the region. Putin also said the intensity of Ukrainian attacks on Russia had decreased and promised to ensure the safety of the American negotiators.
However, Putin indicated that Russia had not agreed to a broader three-day ceasefire.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he had spoken with Witkoff and Kushner ahead of their visit. He added that Ukraine was prepared to refrain from strikes on Moscow through Monday.
The Russian Defence Ministry said 53 Ukrainian drones were detected in Russian airspace on Saturday, a figure significantly lower than the average reported in recent months.
Despite the diplomatic efforts, major differences remain between the two sides. A source close to the Kremlin told Reuters that Putin remains focused on capturing more territory and believes Russia can secure the remaining part of Ukraine's Donetsk region by the end of the year.
The Kremlin has also maintained that Putin's earlier demands, including that Ukraine give up territory claimed by Russia and abandon its plans to join NATO, remain unchanged.
Meanwhile, fighting continues, with both sides carrying out long-range attacks on targets deep inside each other's territory. On the ground, the front lines have remained largely static, although Russian forces have continued to make gradual gains in the Donbas region.
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