The closed-door meeting took place at the Kremlin on Saturday, September 5, 2026, as Washington continues diplomatic efforts to find a way to end the long-running war between Russia and Ukraine.
Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy, and Kushner, the US President’s son-in-law, discussed what the White House described as “concrete plans” for the next steps in efforts to find a solution to the conflict.
A White House official told AFP that decisions regarding the discussions would be announced in the coming weeks.
“The US envoys discussed concrete plans for the next steps, which will be announced in the coming weeks. They are also looking forward to holding similarly productive discussions in Ukraine,” the official said.
Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s foreign policy adviser, described the talks as constructive, frank and useful.
However, neither side announced a major breakthrough or provided detailed information about any agreements reached during the meeting.
Witkoff and Kushner were expected to arrive in Kyiv on Sunday, September 6, 2026, for talks with Ukrainian officials as part of the US-led diplomatic efforts to find a way to end the war.
The visit comes amid growing uncertainty in Ukraine over whether the latest round of negotiations can deliver a long-awaited solution.
France 24 journalist Gulliver Cragg said some people in Ukraine viewed the fact that the Moscow talks ended without any publicly announced breakthrough as a negative sign.
Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had previously agreed to temporarily halt attacks targeting the capitals of both countries while negotiations continued.
The Moscow meeting is part of a new diplomatic process involving Washington, Moscow and Kyiv. However, significant differences remain between Russia and Ukraine over the conditions required to bring the fighting to a permanent end.
The White House said it hoped the discussions in Ukraine would be as productive as those held in Moscow, but did not specify when the plans for the next stages of the diplomatic process would be publicly announced.
