Abu dhabi: Russian President Vladimir Putin's meeting with American negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on the Ukraine conflict lasted for three hours and ten minutes, Russian Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov revealed. "The meeting lasted more than three hours, or more precisely, 3 hours and 10 minutes. It was substantive, constructive, extremely frank and trusting," he noted according to TASS.
According to Emirates News Agency, the discussions covered serious issues both at the working table and in an informal setting during a meal. Ushakov emphasized that the US envoys arrived in Moscow on September 5 following directives from US President Donald Trump to continue dialogue on resolving the Ukraine crisis and to address other pressing issues.
This visit marked the eighth time US representatives were in Russia, and they were received by President Putin. At the start of the meeting, Putin expressed his approval of this intermediary channel of negotiations and the role of the US negotiators. Ushakov reported that Putin reiterated Russia's objectives and the need to address the 'root causes' of the conflict.
Putin reaffirmed Russia's willingness to collaborate with the US in seeking a political and diplomatic solution to the Ukraine conflict. He also emphasized the necessity of addressing the underlying causes of the war, mentioning the battlefield advances of Russian forces and expressing confidence in achieving Moscow's objectives, according to the Kremlin aide.
These diplomatic efforts coincide with an agreement on a mutual three-day ceasefire between Moscow and Kyiv, designed to ensure the safe passage of envoys to the Ukrainian capital to present their proposals to the Ukrainian leadership. This development takes place amid a mutual escalation on the battlefronts, involving drone strikes that have caused casualties and material damage.