In a significant diplomatic effort aimed at ending the Ukraine war, U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held a meeting lasting more than three hours with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Saturday.

The Kremlin described the discussions as “highly productive,” although no major breakthrough or concrete agreement was announced.

Following the Moscow talks, Witkoff and Kushner are expected to travel to Kyiv to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and discuss possible pathways toward a peace settlement. U.S. officials hope the Kyiv meeting will be as constructive as the discussions held in Russia.

According to Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, the American delegation presented several ideas regarding a potential end to the conflict. However, details of those proposals were not disclosed.

Ushakov stated that Putin told the U.S. envoys that Russia is making “real progress” on the battlefield and remains confident about achieving its strategic objectives. He also emphasized the need to address what Moscow considers the “root causes” of the conflict.

A White House official described the meeting as “significant” and suggested that further announcements regarding next steps could come within the coming weeks.

Beyond Ukraine, the two sides reportedly discussed future economic cooperation and major mutually beneficial projects between Russia and the United States.

Putin also praised U.S. President Donald Trump for continuing efforts to seek a negotiated settlement despite the challenges surrounding the conflict.

Trump recently hinted that Washington has developed a new proposal aimed at ending the war, though he has not publicly revealed its details.

According to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, Putin ordered Russian forces to avoid strikes on Kyiv for three days during the visit of the American envoys. In response, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy said Kyiv is prepared to refrain from attacks on Moscow until Monday.

Despite these diplomatic efforts, major differences remain between the two sides.

Russia continues to insist on its territorial demands, while Ukraine has repeatedly rejected any proposal requiring it to surrender territory, arguing that such conditions amount to capitulation.

Sources close to the Kremlin claim Putin remains determined to secure full control of the remaining parts of the Donetsk region before considering any frontline settlement. Ukrainian officials, however, maintain that they will not give up territory defended at tremendous cost.

As the war enters another critical phase, the Moscow and Kyiv meetings may provide important clues about whether meaningful peace negotiations are finally possible—or whether the conflict is set to continue.