Putin and Trump's Envoys Hold Marathon Peace Negotiations on Ukraine Conflict in Moscow

Putin and foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov participate in a meeting with Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff.

Russian President Vladimir Putin engaged in nearly five-hour negotiations with Donald Trump's trusted envoys in Moscow, extending past midnight to discuss potential peace settlement frameworks for the Ukraine conflict.

Trump has consistently expressed frustration that resolving Europe's most deadly conflict since World War Two remains an elusive foreign policy objective during his presidency, occasionally directing criticism at both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

"Our people are currently in Russia attempting to find a resolution. It's an incredibly difficult situation," Trump remarked Tuesday in Washington, adding that the war was causing 25,000 to 30,000 casualties monthly.

Special envoy Steve Witkoff, a billionaire American real estate developer with ties to Trump dating back to the 1980s, along with Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump's husband, commenced talks at the Kremlin around 1630 GMT on Tuesday.

Their discussions with Putin, his foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov, and Putin's envoy Kirill Dmitriev continued well beyond midnight Moscow time, with interpreters present. The Kremlin only announced the conclusion of talks at approximately 2130 GMT.

No immediate details emerged regarding the outcomes of the meeting, though Dmitriev posted on X that the meeting was "productive," accompanied by a dove emoji.

Russian media showed Witkoff arriving at the US embassy in Moscow.

Previous peace negotiations have encountered obstacles regarding Russia's territorial claims to the entire Donbas region, which its forces don't fully control. Additional contentious points include Russia's demands for a formal commitment that NATO will not admit Ukraine and for restrictions on Ukraine's military capabilities.

A leaked document containing 28 US draft peace proposals emerged recently, causing concern among Ukrainian and European officials who interpreted it as yielding to Moscow's primary demands.

European powers subsequently developed a counter-proposal, and during Geneva discussions, the United States and Ukraine announced the creation of an "updated and refined peace framework" to end the conflict.

Speaking from Dublin, Zelenskiy stated that outcomes would depend on the Moscow talks, expressing concern that the United States might lose interest in the peace process.

"Simple solutions will not be found... It is essential that all proceedings remain fair and transparent, without any negotiations occurring behind Ukraine's back," he emphasized.