Putin Meets US Envoys at Kremlin to Discuss Ukraine War — SkimNews
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- Putin met Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner at the Kremlin on Saturday for three hours to discuss Trump's proposal to end the war; Russian official Kirill Dmitriev, who joined the meetings, called the trip "an important peacemaking visit"
- Russia and Ukraine both pledged not to strike each other's capitals for three days during negotiations, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov announcing the order came from Putin as commander-in-chief and Zelenskyy confirming Kyiv's reciprocal commitment on social media
- Witkoff and Kushner are expected in Kyiv on Sunday—described by Al Jazeera's Kyiv correspondent as a "milestone" visit but more "ceremonial" than one likely to produce "real concrete results," and their first stop in Ukraine since Trump returned to office
- The same day both sides pledged the capital truce, Russian strikes killed at least 7 people in Ukraine including in the Kyiv suburbs, and a Ukrainian drone attack on Russia's Belgorod region killed one person
- Putin told the envoys he remains open to peace talks but will not concede on any key issues, citing Ukraine's "escalating drone operations" targeting Russian oil infrastructure and online retailers, while analysts note he believes Russia holds the battlefield advantage
Why it matters: For three days, Moscow and Kyiv residents will hear no retaliatory strikes from the other side—a concrete concession both governments publicly celebrated. Yet Putin told the envoys he won't concede on key issues while pursuing seizure of eastern Ukraine, and Al Jazeera's Kyiv correspondent called the visit "more ceremonial" than substantive.
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