On September 5 local time, Russian President Vladimir Putin held an in‑person high‑level meeting with US presidential envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner at the Kremlin. The talks marked the first round of face‑to‑face high‑level consultations over the Trump administration’s proposal to bring the Ukraine‑Russia conflict to an end. In a rare public gesture, Putin offered high‑level recognition to the US mediation team, delivering a major goodwill signal that Russia is open to dialogue and ready to engage in diplomatic de‑escalation.
This meeting represents the highest‑level direct diplomatic contact between Russia and the United States since Trump announced the new round of Ukraine‑Russia peace mediation. During the session, Putin told the two US envoys that professionalism and credibility of mediators form the core foundation for a political settlement of the conflict.
“The quality of mediation work, and the trust placed in the mediators, are of course critically important. I want to tell you that we feel reassured working with you, and our level of trust throughout this process is quite high,” Putin stated formally to the US delegation at the Kremlin.
These public remarks constitute Moscow’s first explicit, high‑profile endorsement of a US mediation team since the outbreak of the conflict. It signals that Moscow is no longer outright rejecting the US‑led peace initiative and is prepared to enter substantive negotiating discussions under the auspices of credible intermediaries.
（Commerce Wire Global News Desk）