Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner at the Kremlin on Saturday to discuss restarting efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Both sides had recently increased aerial attacks, prompting a temporary agreement between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to halt strikes on each other’s capitals during the talks.
The U.S. initiative to resolve the conflict has slowed down due to the country’s focus on the Iran situation for the past six months. Witkoff and Kushner, who previously met with Putin in January, also plan to visit Kyiv for the first time in the peace process, according to Ukrainian officials.
During the meeting, Putin conveyed warm wishes and gratitude to former President Donald Trump through Kushner and Witkoff. He acknowledged the complexities of the situation in Ukraine, which escalated following Russia’s full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022.
In response to the discussions, Putin ordered a three-day halt on strikes against Kyiv, starting midnight that day, as confirmed by presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov. Zelenskyy reciprocated by expressing readiness to suspend strikes on Moscow until Monday, following a conversation with the U.S. delegation upon their arrival in Moscow.
The American envoys were welcomed by Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev at the airport, with Dmitriev sharing photos of their meeting and captioning it as “Welcome to Moscow Peacemakers.”
Amid stalled peace talks, Russia has intensified attacks on Kyiv and other cities, utilizing drones and long-range strikes. The ongoing conflict has brought daily life in Kyiv to a standstill with air-raid sirens becoming a common occurrence.
Zelenskyy denounced the recent Russian strikes on airports in Kyiv, linking them to the U.S. delegation’s visit. He assured that Ukraine would adapt its operations in response to the escalating situation, emphasizing the importance of diplomacy.
Tragic incidents resulting from the conflict were reported, including the deaths of workers at an industrial facility in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region and civilian injuries in Russian border regions. The violence has caused destruction and casualties, underscoring the urgency for a peaceful resolution.
Russian forces continue their aggressive actions, launching ballistic missiles and deploying drones, while Ukraine’s air force has been actively defending against these assaults. The cycle of attacks and counterattacks underscores the gravity of the situation and the need for diplomatic efforts to prevail.
