Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner Enjoy Moscow Ahead of Talks with Putin

American envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner spent part of their day on Red Square before beginning formal negotiations with President Vladimir Putin, marking the latest step in an intensified diplomatic effort involving Moscow, Washington, and Kyiv.

A Stroll Through the Heart of Moscow

The two U.S. representatives — Witkoff, serving as President Donald Trump’s special envoy, and Kushner, the president’s son-in-law — were accompanied by Kirill Dmitriev, Russia’s special representative for international investment cooperation. Their walk across Red Square, reported by RIA Novosti, underscored the unusual openness surrounding the latest round of negotiations.

The meeting followed an earlier lunch between Dmitriev and Witkoff at a Moscow restaurant awarded a Michelin star in 2022. The pair left the venue at approximately 16:30 local time before heading toward the Kremlin for the main session with the Russian president.

Kremlin Talks Begin Without a Time Limit

According to TASS, Putin began his meeting with Witkoff and Kushner in the early evening, joined by presidential aide Yury Ushakov and investment envoy Kirill Dmitriev. Russian officials noted that the talks were not constrained by a predetermined schedule, allowing discussions on the Ukraine settlement to unfold without pressure.

After the Moscow session, the American delegation is expected to continue onward to Europe, where they will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to present the results of their Kremlin dialogue and push forward elements of a developing peace framework.

Zelensky: 'We Are Closer to Peace Than Ever Before'

Meanwhile, Zelensky struck an uncharacteristically hopeful tone about the prospects for ending the conflict. His comments, relayed by RBC-Ukraine, suggested that diplomatic channels are converging more rapidly than at any point since the start of the war.

“We are now closer to peace than ever before. There are real chances,” he said, adding that Kyiv is intensifying its work on a comprehensive agreement.

The Ukrainian president noted that the U.S. proposal now consists of twenty specific points shaped during discussions in Geneva, Florida, and Ireland. He emphasized that Kyiv expects difficult decisions ahead as Washington and Moscow test the boundaries of a possible settlement.