Putin Calls US‑Ukraine Talks ‘Useful’ but No Breakthrough Achieved

On Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin sat down for more than three hours with two American envoys – Steve Witkoff, a special envoy for the United States, and Jared Kushner, a senior adviser to President Donald Trump. Kremlin spokesperson Yuri Ushakov described the marathon session as “highly useful,” noting that the Americans laid out a handful of ideas for a possible settlement. He didn’t spell out what those ideas were, but the tone was optimistic – at least on the surface.

During the talks, Putin reportedly told his guests that Russian forces were making “real progress” on the battlefield and that Moscow felt confident it could reach its strategic goals. He also emphasized, once again, the need to address “all the root causes” of the conflict, a line the Kremlin has repeated since the invasion began in February 2022.

The United States, for its part, described the dialogue as “substantive.” A White House official told Reuters that follow‑up steps would be announced in the coming weeks, although neither Witkoff nor Kushner issued any immediate comment. After leaving Moscow, the two are slated to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Sunday.

Beyond the obvious political jockeying, Ushakov said the conversation also touched on economic matters and even potential joint Russian‑American projects that could benefit both sides. “Overall, one can say the negotiations were timely and highly useful for both sides,” he said, adding that the discussion went beyond a mere exchange of views.

Putin also took a moment to praise former President Trump’s personal involvement, calling his efforts “difficult but necessary” and acknowledging the former president’s “contribution to resolving the Russian‑Ukrainian conflict.” Trump, for his part, hinted on Friday that the United States had a fresh proposal to end the war, but he stopped short of revealing details.

Security arrangements were also on the agenda. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin had ordered Russian forces not to strike Kyiv for three days out of respect for the American delegation’s presence, a gesture meant to assure the visitors’ safety.

Meanwhile, the fighting on the ground remains stubbornly static. Over the past ten days, Moscow has unleashed a flurry of missile and drone strikes on Kyiv, including a recent hit on the Ukrainian security service’s headquarters. Ukraine, in turn, has ramped up attacks on Russian oil facilities, refinery complexes and even a large Wildberries warehouse, trying to raise the war’s cost for Moscow. Kyiv announced it would hold fire on Moscow for the next few days, a temporary pause meant to keep the diplomatic channel open.

Analysts note that the fundamental gap between the two sides remains huge. A source close to the Kremlin told Reuters that Putin still aims to capture the rest of the Donetsk region before any front‑line compromise can be considered. He apparently believes his commanders will achieve that goal by the end of the year – a view many Western military experts deem optimistic at best.

Ukraine, on the other hand, refuses to cede any of the territory it has defended, viewing such demands as tantamount to surrender. The Kremlin has reiterated the position it set out two years ago: Ukraine must hand over four regions claimed by Russia and abandon any plans to join NATO. That stance, according to Kremlin officials, is “unshakeable.”

In short, while the meeting was described as productive and the participants exchanged a lot of ideas, neither side signaled a concrete breakthrough. The war in Europe’s biggest post‑Cold‑War conflict drags on, and the diplomatic road ahead looks as rocky as ever.