Witkoff and Kushner take Putin message to Kyiv as peace push gathers pace Putin talks — then straight to KyivCould this finally be the beginning of something different in Ukraine? US peace negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are heading to Kyiv after an intensive three-hour meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow — followed by dinner with the Russian leader. The whirlwind diplomacy marks Washington’s latest attempt to find a way out of the war, with the American team now carrying Putin’s “observations and assessments” directly into talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The Kremlin described the Moscow meeting as “useful”, saying the Americans had arrived well prepared and were determined to find a way to end the fighting as quickly as possible. That, at least, is the language of diplomacy rather than war. A three-day pause over KyivAnd then came a potentially significant development. Putin said he had ordered a three-day halt to Russian attacks on Kyiv to coincide with the American delegation’s visit. It is not a full ceasefire. Neither side has agreed to stop fighting across Ukraine. But after months of missiles and drones pounding the Ukrainian capital, even a temporary pause linked directly to peace talks is difficult to ignore. Zelensky has gone a step further, saying Ukraine is prepared to refrain from strikes on Moscow through Monday — provided Russia does the same around Kyiv. For once, there is at least the outline of a temporary understanding. Zelensky opens the doorZelensky has publicly welcomed Witkoff and Kushner, saying Ukraine is ready for a “substantive conversation”. That is important. The American negotiators are not simply travelling to Kyiv to hear Ukrainian complaints about the battlefield. They arrive after speaking face-to-face with Putin and are expected to put his proposals, assessments and ideas directly before Zelensky. It creates an unusual diplomatic sequence: Moscow first. Kyiv second. And Washington sits in the middle. Kyiv is still under attackBut the optimism comes with a very large warning label. Russian missiles and drones have continued to hit Kyiv, including a direct strike on the headquarters of Ukraine’s Security Service on Friday. Zelensky has also warned that Ukraine faces an acute shortage of air-defence interceptors, leaving the country particularly vulnerable to Russian ballistic missiles. Earlier Saturday, he said Russian missiles struck two airports in the Kyiv region, including Boryspil, the capital’s main international airport before the war. Zelensky suggested the strikes could have been connected to preparations for the arrival of the American delegation. Whether that proves to be the case or not, the timing is certainly striking. Putin thanks TrumpThe Moscow meeting also produced some unusually warm diplomatic language. Putin began by asking Witkoff and Kushner to pass on his best wishes — and his thanks — to President Donald Trump. The Russian president acknowledged that the issues confronting the negotiators were “not simple”, but the fact that the meeting lasted three hours and continued over dinner suggests the discussions were anything but superficial. Witkoff responded in similarly friendly fashion, joking that when the men eventually retire, they will have “incredible stories” and that Putin’s would be “right at the top”. That is a long way from the language normally associated with a war that has consumed so many lives. Trump’s peace team now faces ZelenskyThe American delegation now has the harder half of the weekend ahead. Witkoff and Kushner will meet Zelensky in Kyiv for the first time since the war began. The White House says the two sides discussed substantive plans for the next steps, with further announcements expected in the coming weeks. That suggests Washington believes there is enough on the table to keep the diplomatic process moving. But the enormous obstacles remain. Russia and Ukraine still have fundamental disagreements over territory, security guarantees and the terms of any settlement. And Russian missiles are still hitting Ukraine. A dinner in the Kremlin does not end a war. But something has changedStill, there is a reason this weekend feels different. For the first time in a while, the headlines are not entirely about another Russian advance, another missile barrage or another escalation. They are about Moscow, Kyiv and Washington talking to one another. Putin has offered a temporary pause around Kyiv. Zelensky has offered a reciprocal pause around Moscow. Trump’s representatives have sat down with Putin — and are now travelling to sit down with Zelensky. Nobody should call that peace yet. But after years of war, a pause for diplomacy is at least something to work with. And perhaps, just perhaps, this time the talking might prove more important than the shooting. SOURCE
