US Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law, have held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin as efforts to bring an end to the war in Ukraine continue.
The pair met Putin on Tuesday at the Senate Palace of the Kremlin in Moscow, accompanied by Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s foreign policy adviser, and Russian businessman Kirill Dmitriev.
The discussions began with Witkoff describing Moscow as a “magnificent city.”
This marks his sixth visit to Russia since taking up his role earlier this year.
Photographs from the meeting, captured moments before the leaders went into private discussions, were swiftly released by Russian state media, showing both delegations sitting across from each other at an extended table in friendly conversation.
Further information about the progress of the negotiations is anticipated once the meeting concludes.
No compromise over Europe
When questioned about how long the talks might last, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated they would continue “as long as it takes.”
Despite the courteous opening exchanges, Putin appeared less willing to accommodate other nations, accusing European governments of undermining peace talks and declaring that “European demands” for ending the conflict were “not acceptable.
“Europe is preventing the U.S. administration from achieving peace in Ukraine,” Putin said. “Russia does not intend to fight Europe, but if Europe starts,” and made a five-word threat: “we are ready right now.”
The Russian leader claimed that European powers are “on the side of war,” suggesting they had excluded themselves from peace negotiations on Ukraine by severing contact with Russia.
Peace hangs in the balance
He also warned that if Europe initiates a war with Russia, there could be “a situation in which there won’t be anyone to negotiate with.”
Both Kushner and Witkoff have emerged as key players in the president’s mission to bring an end to conflicts globally. The pair also played a prominent role in brokering peace agreements between Israel and Hamas last October.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was making his first official state visit to Ireland to hold talks with Irish Prime Minister (Taoiseach) Michael Martin and other senior Irish officials.
The visit comes after the Trump administration unveiled its peace proposal for Russia and Ukraine, which has faced widespread criticism for appearing to favour the Kremlin disproportionately. The Trump administration’s 28-point peace plan, among other directives, instructs Ukraine to cede Crimea to Russia, including the profitable Donbas region, a move Zelensky has already argued would not be in his country’s best interest.
Bones of contention
Another contentious point in the plan is the prohibition of Ukraine joining NATO, an organisation the country has long aspired to join. However, they would be allowed to become part of the European Union.
The country would also be compelled to hold an election within 100 days, a point the Trump administration is particularly keen on.
This meeting follows a leaked conversation between Witkoff and Russian officials, where the U.S. envoy was reportedly advising Putin’s close allies on how to appeal to Trump. This conversation prompted a group of bipartisan congressmembers to demand his removal.
