Today, Vladimir Putin met with representatives of the US President – Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner – at the Kremlin. The reason for their visit is shrouded in mystery and is of great importance: they have come to discuss a peace proposal to end hostilities in Ukraine, drawn up by Donald Trump’s administration.
At the start of the talks, Putin emphasised that the situation they were to address was ‘complex’. Also present at the meeting were his aide Yuri Ushakov and Special Representative Kirill Dmitriev, which demonstrates the seriousness of the Russian leadership’s intentions.
Witkoff and Kushner’s visit to Moscow is just part of their wider diplomatic tour. Tomorrow, 6 September, they will travel to Kyiv, where they will continue discussions on peace initiatives with the Ukrainian authorities.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has shown unusual diplomatic flexibility by promising to ensure the safety of the airspace for the American delegation. He also called on the Russian side to refrain from military action for the duration of the visit.
However, the situation remains tense. Despite Putin’s instructions to refrain from attacks on Kyiv, Russian forces continued their shelling on 5 September. The targets were the Zaporizhzhia, Khmelnytskyi, Zhytomyr and Kyiv regions. As a result of these actions, two people were killed and 28 sites were damaged. Zelenskyy described these strikes as a response to attempts to hold negotiations.
The meeting in the Kremlin and the forthcoming visit to Kyiv were preceded by extensive diplomatic efforts, and the outcome of these talks could mark a significant turning point in the Ukrainian crisis. All eyes are on whether the American envoys will succeed in securing a ceasefire and opening a new path towards resolving the conflict.