US Envoys Head to Kyiv After Putin Talks on Ukraine Peace Deal

``` US negotiators prepare for Kyiv visit after talks with Putin ```

US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are travelling to Ukraine following talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow as Washington pushes efforts to find a path towards ending the war.

The two envoys met Putin on Saturday at his official residence in the Russian capital. The closed-door meeting lasted around three hours, with both Russian and US officials describing the discussions positively while providing few details about the proposals under consideration.

The White House said Witkoff and Kushner had discussed "substantive plans for next steps" with Putin and were expected to hold similarly productive discussions in Kyiv.

Their visit would be the first trip to the Ukrainian capital by President Donald Trump's leading negotiators since the current diplomatic efforts intensified.

Putin meeting produces few details

Russian presidential adviser Yuri Ushakov described the Moscow discussions as constructive and unusually frank.

According to Ushakov, the talks covered more than possible arrangements for resolving the conflict. Economic matters and potential Russian-American projects were also discussed.

He said the Russian side raised what it described as advances by its forces on the battlefield and stressed that any negotiations would need to address what Moscow considers the underlying causes of the conflict.

The US and Russia have not publicly released detailed terms for a potential agreement, leaving significant questions about what proposals Witkoff and Kushner will take to Kyiv.

Zelensky signals readiness for discussions

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has indicated that he is prepared for substantive discussions as diplomatic activity continues.

The latest meetings come as Russia and Ukraine have continued intense aerial attacks against each other.

Ukraine has said it faces difficulties defending against Russian ballistic missiles because of shortages of interceptor missiles. Meanwhile, Ukrainian attacks have increasingly targeted Russian economic infrastructure, including oil facilities.

Fighting continues despite diplomatic efforts

The diplomatic discussions are taking place alongside continuing military operations.

Russian forces control roughly one-fifth of Ukraine, largely comprising territory captured during Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. Although Russia has continued missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities, its ground forces have generally made slow progress during much of the conflict while suffering heavy casualties.

The ongoing battlefield situation remains one of the major factors surrounding negotiations over a possible settlement.

Temporary pause for strikes on capitals

Putin and Zelensky have agreed to stop strikes against each other's capitals for three days, according to the report.

The limited pause comes as Washington attempts to move discussions towards a broader resolution of the conflict.

Witkoff and Kushner have travelled to Russia several times during the diplomatic process. However, because Ukrainian airspace has remained closed since Russia's full-scale invasion began in February 2022, the exact method by which they will travel from Moscow to Kyiv has not been made public.

What happens next?

The US envoys are expected to meet Ukrainian officials in Kyiv following their Moscow discussions.

The White House has indicated that further announcements could come in the coming weeks, but the precise content of any emerging peace proposal remains unclear.

For now, the diplomatic effort is continuing while fighting and long-range attacks remain active, meaning any potential agreement would still have to overcome major political, territorial and security-related issues.