Kremlin says Ukraine talks with U.S. envoys were useful, but no signs of breakthrough

Moscow – Russian President Vladimir Putin held more than three hours of “highly useful” talks on Saturday with two U.S. envoys seeking a deal to end the Ukraine war, a Kremlin aide said, but he gave no indication of any breakthrough. The aide, Yuri Ushakov, said Americans Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner “outlined a number of ideas regarding possible avenues for a settlement.” Ushakov did not say what these ideas were. He said Putin had told the pair that Russia was making “real progress” on the battlefield, was confident of achieving its goals, and stressed the necessity of addressing “all the root causes of the conflict.”