Kremlin Diplomacy: Putin Engages US Envoys Witkoff and Kushner in Urgent Ukraine Peace Talks

In a significant diplomatic endeavor, Russian President Vladimir Putin held discussions with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner at the Kremlin on Saturday. The objective of the talks was to reignite stalled efforts to bring an end to the prolonged conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

The closed-door meeting, which included Putin, Kushner, and Witkoff, extended beyond three hours, taking place amidst a backdrop of intensified aerial attacks from both sides. As a gesture of goodwill during the discussions, President Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mutually agreed to a temporary halt in strikes on each other's capitals.

Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting with members of the Security Council via a video link at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia May 8, 2026. Mikhail Metzel | Via Reuters

Washington's previous momentum in brokering peace has waned over the past six months, largely due to the U.S. government's focus shifting to the Iran war. The last recorded visit by Witkoff and Kushner, who is also former U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law, to Moscow for talks with Putin was in January.

American Envoys Set for Historic Kyiv Visit

Ukrainian officials confirmed that both U.S. envoys are scheduled to make their inaugural visit to Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, on Sunday as part of the ongoing peace process.

At the commencement of the Moscow meeting, Putin extended his warm regards and gratitude to Trump via Kushner and Witkoff, characterizing the situation in Ukraine as 'not simple.' Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

Presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov informed Russia's Tass news agency that "(Russian President Vladimir) Putin has ordered that no strikes be carried out against Kyiv for three days, starting at midnight today."

Zelenskyy, in turn, stated that Ukraine was prepared to suspend strikes on Moscow until Monday, confirming he had spoken with the U.S. delegation after their arrival in Moscow on Saturday afternoon.

"From now through the end of Saturday, as well as on Sunday and Monday, Ukraine is ready to refrain from strikes on Moscow, and we expect the Russians to do the same regarding Kyiv," Zelenskyy declared.

Upon their arrival at the Moscow airport, the U.S. envoys were greeted by Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev, Tass reported. Dmitriev shared photographs of the encounter, captioned, "Welcome to Moscow Peacemakers."

Peace Efforts Remain Stagnant Amid Intensified Conflict

With peace initiatives at a standstill, Russia has ramped up its attacks on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, launching relentless bombardments that often extend into daylight hours. This escalation exploits Ukraine's current deficit in air defense systems.

Last Friday, a Russian drone struck a pivotal government building in Kyiv – the headquarters of Ukraine's Security Service (SBU), an agency instrumental in executing deep-strike operations within Russia.

Conversely, Ukraine's long-range strikes have targeted Russian military installations, oil refineries, and e-commerce hubs. These operations aim to cripple the Kremlin's war machine and economy, while also making ordinary Russian citizens feel the direct repercussions of the conflict.

Zelenskyy Links Russian Strikes to Envoys' Arrival

The aerial conflict between Russia and Ukraine has intensified as ground troops struggle to advance along the extensive 1,250-kilometer (775-mile) front line. Russia has recently deployed rapid, jet-powered drones, making the recurrent wail of air-raid sirens a routine part of life in Kyiv.

In a social media post on Saturday, Zelenskyy attributed the overnight Russian strikes on Kyiv and Boryspil international airports to the anticipated U.S. delegation visit.

"Clearly, these Russian strikes on the airports are a reaction to the discussions and preparations for the possibility of the U.S. side using an aircraft to travel to Ukraine," he asserted.

He further added, "We have taken note of this Russian move, and next week we will adjust our operation accordingly regarding Russian airspace, which has become dangerous because of our drones and missiles in the sky. Of course, there are and will be no threats to diplomacy from our side."

Lethal Strikes Hit Ukrainian Industrial Site

Russian attacks resulted in five fatalities and five injuries at an industrial facility in Ukraine's southern Dnipropetrovsk region, as reported by local military administration head Oleksandr Hanzha. The victims were identified as employees at the site.

"A locksmith, an electrician, a plumber and a machinist. People of peaceful professions. They were simply working their shift. They were doing their job when enemy missiles cut off their lives," Hanzha lamented.

In a separate incident in the region's Nikopol district, a 62-year-old man was wounded, and several residences and an apartment building sustained damage.

Russia's Ministry of Defense issued a statement Saturday, claiming responsibility for strikes on two metallurgical plants in the region, which they described as "major suppliers of metal products for Ukraine's military production."

Additionally, two individuals were injured in an overnight Russian assault on Ukraine's Kyiv region, according to Tymur Tkachenko, head of the regional military administration. In the Boryspil district, a fire ignited by a strike partially destroyed a nine-story residential building.

Overnight, Russian forces also repeatedly targeted a shopping center in the southern Mykolaiv region with drones, causing damage to retail premises and sparking fires, as per Ukraine's state emergency services. A 72-year-old man and a 17-year-old girl were wounded in this attack.

Emergency response teams at the scene were repeatedly forced to retreat due to the threat of further strikes, returning to continue their work only when conditions permitted, emergency services noted.

Ukraine's air force reported that Russia launched ballistic missiles from its Rostov and Voronezh regions and deployed 167 attack drones overnight. These drones included Shahed-type aircraft – with approximately half being jet-powered – along with Geran and decoy drones. Ukrainian air defenses successfully intercepted or suppressed 128 of these drones.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian attacks wounded three people, including a 14-year-old girl, in Russia's border region of Belgorod, local officials stated.

Russia's Defense Ministry countered with a statement asserting that its forces had shot down 53 Ukrainian drones overnight.