Negotiations on Saturday, September 5, between Russian President Vladimir Putin and White House envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner lasted just over three hours. Before their end, the Kremlin published a video recording of the beginning of the meeting, in which Putin emphasized that he had not declared a broad truce with Ukraine, and Witkoff said that after his “retirement” he would remember his communication with the Russian president.
On the day of the American delegation's visit, Putin's press secretary Dmitry Peskov said that strikes on the Ukrainian capital would stop for three days due to the fact that Witkoff and Kushner also planned to visit Kyiv.
Putin, in response to Witkoff’s gratitude for this order, emphasized that we are not talking about a full-scale truce.
“The Ukrainian authorities published their call for a wider truce for three days, but we never agreed on this with them. But we will do everything that depends on us in order to ensure the security of the negotiation process and the mediators in your person and, perhaps, in the persons accompanying you,” the Kremlin website quotes Putin.
Witkoff also expressed gratitude to Putin for his decision to release former US Marine Robert Gilman from a Russian prison. The US citizen was returned to his homeland without exchange in August of this year. Putin responded to Witkoff that the Gilman family should thank Trump first of all, since “he was the one who made” the request.
At the beginning of the meeting, the parties also exchanged best wishes – Putin asked to convey them to Trump, and Witkoff then stated that he also conveyed them to the Russian president.
“Understanding that in general he [Трамп] enters into a difficult situation, nevertheless, he does not stop his attempts to resolve, to contribute to the resolution of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. Today we will talk about all its components, all aspects, and we, for our part, are also ready to inform you about how we see the situation,” Putin emphasized at the negotiations.
As the Russian news agency TASS noted, Putin’s meeting with the US delegation took place not in the Green Living Room of the Grand Kremlin Palace, but in the Red Living Room. The latter is considered a “luxurious, but less solemn reception place” than the first, where the Russian President receives top officials of foreign states.
In January, Putin received Witkoff and Kushner in the executive office in the Senate Palace, RIA Novosti notes.
Statements by Ushakov following negotiations with the United States
Putin aide Yuri Ushakov, who attended the talks with Trump envoys, told reporters after the Sept. 5 meeting that it was substantive, constructive and “extremely frank.”
The parties discussed, in addition to Ukraine, joint projects, and also talked “both at work and, in an informal setting, at the dinner table,” Ushakov noted. Putin’s aide stressed that the Russian side “noted the real successes of the Russian army” and “emphasized the need to eliminate all the root causes of the conflict.”
“Our president confirmed his determination to continue working together with the Americans to find political and diplomatic solutions,” Ushakov added.
He noted that Witkoff and Kushner promised to use Putin’s assessments “concerning reaching a lasting peaceful settlement of the conflict” during negotiations in Kyiv on September 6.
The Russian presidential aide also added that the American side presented Putin with “a number of considerations regarding possible ways of settlement.” Ushakov did not reveal their essence.
“It has been confirmed that the presidents of our two countries will continue to maintain personal contacts, and that work between Steven Witkoff and Jared Kushner will continue,” the Kremlin representative emphasized (quotes from TASS).
