US envoys head to Kyiv after three-hour Putin meeting as 72-hour ceasefire takes hold

Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner sat across from Vladimir Putin for roughly three hours on September 5 in the Kremlin, then packed their bags for Kyiv. The two US envoys are set to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on September 6, marking their first trip to the Ukrainian capital since the Trump administration launched its mediation effort.

The visit comes with a rare, if modest, goodwill gesture: both Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a temporary 72-hour cessation of strikes against each other’s capitals.

What happened in Moscow

The three-hour sit-down at the Kremlin was the latest in a series of engagements between Trump administration officials and Russian leadership that stretches back to late 2025. Previous rounds of talks took place in Moscow and Abu Dhabi, though none produced a breakthrough.

Putin reportedly described the situation as “difficult” while expressing appreciation for the US diplomatic effort.