In a pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Russia's President Vladimir Putin, right, welcomes US envoys Steve Witkoff, second left, and Jared Kushner, left, prior to their talks in Moscow on September 5, 2026 [Gavriil Grigorov/Pool/AFP] By Al Jazeera Staff and AFP Published On 5 Sep 20265 Sep 2026 Russian President Vladimir Putin has begun talks with United States envoys on ending more than four years of war in Ukraine, ahead of their first visit to Kyiv expected on Sunday.
Putin met Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner – respectively President Donald Trump’s special envoy and business ally, and his son-in-law – at the Kremlin on Saturday.
“Dear colleagues, I warmly welcome you to Moscow.
The situation is, of course, not simple,” Putin told the envoys in a grand Kremlin hall in footage aired by Russian TV.
Both Russia and Ukraine vowed not to strike each other’s capitals for three days during the negotiations, as Washington tries to revive US-led talks to end Europe’s worst conflict since World War II.
Trump earlier said Kushner and Witkoff were bringing “a proposal to end the war”.
In Putin’s address to the two men, he said: “I would like to ask everyone to convey their best wishes and words of gratitude to US President Mr Trump”.
Witkoff said Trump had sent his best wishes to Putin and thanked him for the limited ceasefire during the delegation’s visit.
Putin said Russia would do its utmost to ensure the safety of the mediators.
‘Refrain from strikes’ The talks come as the grinding war – which began with a Russian invasion in 2022 – has seen increasing civilian deaths and attacks this summer.
Putin has repeatedly said Moscow intends to seize the rest of east Ukraine.
Russian strikes on Ukraine on Saturday killed at least seven people, including in the Kyiv suburbs, Ukrainian officials said.
Advertisement The Kremlin said it would not strike Kyiv from midnight on Saturday, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he would halt strikes on Moscow “from now” until Monday.
“The Russian president, the commander-in-chief, has given the order from midnight tonight not to strike Kyiv for three days,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
Zelensky – who had offered a truce during the US visits – later said he had spoken to the US envoys and also promised Kyiv would not strike Moscow.
“From now through the end of Saturday, as well as on Sunday and Monday, Ukraine is ready to refrain from strikes on Moscow,” Zelensky said on social media.
The Ukrainian leader said he had spoken to the US officials and that he expected them in Kyiv on Sunday.
It will be the first time that Witkoff and Kushner visit Kyiv since Trump returned to office last year with a pledge to resolve the conflict.
