Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomed U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, to the Kremlin on Tuesday for five hours of closed-door discussions aimed at resolving the ongoing Ukraine conflict.
Constructive Talks, But Details Secret
Putin’s foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov called the meeting “thorough and positive,” noting the extended session allowed for deep dives into long-term peace options. No specifics were released, but both sides agreed to keep the content under wraps.
U.S. Diplomacy in Motion
The Moscow session follows a productive U.S.-Ukrainian dialogue in Florida last week, where Secretary of State Marco Rubio described talks as “encouraging” but stressed “much work lies ahead.”
At the heart is a U.S.-proposed framework unveiled last month, which faced immediate backlash for seemingly favoring Moscow with:
- Handover of eastern Donbas territories
- Ukraine’s permanent withdrawal from NATO aspirations
Kyiv dismissed the original draft as unacceptable, though recent revisions have reportedly softened some elements — though exact changes remain undisclosed.
Frontline Fury: Pokrovsk Under Siege
As diplomats parleyed, fighting raged in eastern Ukraine. Moscow released footage Tuesday purporting to show Russian forces raising their flag over Pokrovsk, a key Donetsk stronghold.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy countered Monday that intense combat continues in the area, rejecting claims of a decisive loss. Pokrovsk anchors the “fortress belt” of fortified cities — including Kramatorsk, Sloviansk, and Druzhkivka — vital to Kyiv’s hold on remaining Donbas territory.
A fall here would represent a major strategic setback for Ukraine after four years of stalemate.
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