President Putin discussed frankly for 3 hours with two Trump envoys about resolving the Ukraine conflict

President Putin discussed frankly for more than 3 hours with Mr. Trump's two special envoys about the solution to the Ukraine conflict.

The Kremlin said special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law, met with President Vladimir Putin for more than 3 hours on September 5, while the US was trying to find a way to restore negotiations to end the conflict that has lasted more than 4 years in Ukraine.

"Dear colleagues, welcome to Moscow. The discussions we will have today are not at all easy," Mr. Putin said at the beginning of the meeting.

The Russian President asked the two special envoys to convey his best wishes to his counterpart Donald Trump, emphasizing that the US President is continuing his efforts to contribute to resolving the Ukraine crisis. He also affirmed that Russia is always ready to work with special envoys Witkoff and Kushner.

"We will do our best to ensure the safety of the negotiation process with intermediaries," President Putin told the US special envoy during the meeting.

Yuri Ushakov, Mr. Putin's foreign policy adviser, said the two sides had a frank exchange. "The US representatives have prepared very carefully for the trip. They not only expressed the traditional desire to soon end hostilities, but also offered a series of ideas about possible solutions to the Ukraine problem," he said.

Advisor Ushakov added that the Russian side has provided clear and complete assessments of the actual situation, emphasizing "the actual progress of the Russian army in the area where the special operation was conducted."

According to TASS news agency, US special envoys left Moscow for Kiev after the meeting.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he plans to receive the US special envoy today. It is unclear how the US delegation will arrive in Kiev. Ukrainian airspace has been closed since the conflict broke out in February 2022, and foreign leaders subsequently visited Ukraine by train.

If US envoys arrive in Kiev by plane, they will become the first foreign delegation to land in the Ukrainian capital by air during more than four years of fighting.

In a televised speech before the meeting, President Putin announced that Russia would "guarantee the safety" of US special envoys when they come to Ukraine. He noted that Moscow had received a proposal to temporarily suspend attacks on the capital Kiev, through intelligence agencies and the Russian Foreign Ministry.

President Putin on September 5 thanked his American counterpart for being persistent in efforts to end the fighting, even though it was "not easy". Regarding the trip of US special envoys to Kiev, he said "contacts like this are certainly always beneficial, regardless of what happens next".

President Trump said on September 4 that US special envoys would bring proposals on ending hostilities to Russia and Ukraine. "We have an idea for peace," he said without giving details.