Putin, US envoys discuss Ukraine, no breakthrough

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in the Kremlin on Saturday, September 5, 2026, describing the situation in Ukraine as "difficult" while praising President Donald Trump's efforts to end the war. The talks, which lasted over three hours, were described by a Kremlin aide as "substantive, constructive and extremely frank," though they yielded no indication of a breakthrough in the long-running conflict. Putin, flanked by his foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov and investment envoy Kirill Dmitriev, opened the meeting by acknowledging the challenges facing the U.S. administration. "Understanding that he is entering a difficult situation, he nevertheless does not stop his efforts to help bring about a settlement and to make his contribution to resolving the Russian-Ukrainian conflict," Putin said, according to a transcript of his remarks. Trump had suggested on Friday that the U.S. had a fresh proposal aimed at ending the war, though he did not elaborate on its details. In a gesture tied to the envoys' visit, Putin ordered the Russian military not to strike Kyiv for three days, beginning at midnight on Saturday.