US President Donald Trump suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin may be open to ending the ongoing war in Ukraine, following an extended round of discussions between Russian officials and a visiting US delegation in Moscow.
The meeting, held on Wednesday, involved US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, who spent nearly five hours with Putin reviewing pathways to resolve the conflict that began in February 2022.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said the US side conveyed positive feedback from the talks.
“Putin had a very good meeting yesterday with Jared Kushner and with Steve Witkoff. What comes out of that meeting, I can’t tell you because it does take two to tango,” Trump stated. “He (Putin) would like to end the war, that was their impression,” he added.
However, Russian officials struck a more cautious tone. Senior Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov, in a briefing on Wednesday, called the meeting one of the most substantive exchanges between Washington and Moscow since the war began. But he emphasised that the discussions yielded “no compromise” on territorial questions — a central sticking point.
Ushakov said both sides explored several potential frameworks for peace but acknowledged that key disagreements persisted.
“We are no closer to resolving the crisis in Ukraine, and there is much work to be done,” he said, noting that talks extended late into the night.
He confirmed that Russia’s investment envoy Kirill Dmitriev and other senior officials joined the meeting, where the American delegation presented fresh proposals. Still, major obstacles remained, particularly regarding Ukrainian territory.
Ushakov stressed the confidential nature of the dialogue.
“The discussion was confidential. We agreed not to disclose the substance of the negotiations,” he said.
He added that Putin had asked Witkoff to relay “a number of important political signals” directly to Trump.
“They will present their findings to Trump and contact us,” Ushakov noted, indicating plans for continued communication between the two governments.
Ahead of the meeting, Putin criticised Europe’s role in the peace process, accusing the EU of advancing proposals aimed “at only one thing: to block the entire peace process altogether.”
Despite the high-level engagement, both sides acknowledged that meaningful progress remains elusive — but diplomatic efforts are set to continue.
