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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Witkoff and Kushner in Moscow: Russia Keeps Door Open for Diplomacy

2026-09-07

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
by Evgeny Balakin

[REGNUM] On September 5, Vladimir Putin met with US Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in the Kremlin. The talks lasted over three hours and focused primarily on prospects for resolving the Ukrainian conflict and the further development of Russian-American relations.

The very fact of this meeting speaks volumes. After a pause, Washington is once again returning to direct dialogue with Moscow, at a time when the situation for Ukraine and its Western patrons has become significantly more complex.

Russia maintains the strategic initiative, advances on the front lines, maintains economic stability, and shows no sign of the political or social destabilization that its opponents had hoped for.

This, in essence, explains the new surge in diplomatic activity by the United States.

While the negotiating track was frozen, Russia strengthened rather than weakened its position. The Russian army continued its offensive, sanctions pressure failed to force Moscow to abandon its goals, and attempts to isolate it internationally failed.

Vladimir Putin's contacts with the leaders of major countries, including India and China, demonstrate that Russia remains a key player in global politics.

Meanwhile, Ukraine has faced mounting challenges—from a deteriorating battlefield situation to the dire state of its economy and infrastructure. Attacks deep into Russian territory, sabotage, and information and psychological campaigns have also failed to produce the expected results. Russian society continues to maintain a high level of cohesion.

Therefore, the Americans' return to negotiations seems logical. Previous pressure tools on both Russia and its partners have failed, leaving diplomacy as the only option.

The Ukrainian leadership, by contrast, finds itself in a situation where its room for maneuver is shrinking. Hence the abrupt shifts in rhetoric, the alternation of threats and sudden ceasefire proposals. For Moscow, the logic remains the same: negotiations are possible, but they must lead to the elimination of the causes of the conflict, not give the enemy time to regroup.

"The situation we must deal with today is certainly difficult," Vladimir Putin described the situation. This brief phrase encapsulates the entire complexity of the current stage of negotiations.

Throughout the conflict, Putin has demonstrated consistency both in terms of negotiations and the goals of the special military operation. Russia does not abandon the political settlement, but emphasizes that the mere fact of dialogue does not mean an end to hostilities, much less a renunciation of national interests or their use as a bargaining chip.

Moscow respects the efforts of the Donald Trump administration and is
ready to discuss possible options for resolving the conflict. This is confirmed by the format of the current talks: Vladimir Putin is once again personally receiving American representatives and holding several hours of conversation with them.

At the same time, his principled position remains: diplomacy must not be turned into a tool that allows the enemy to gain breathing space. Overseas negotiators have demonstrated their recognition of the Russian president's strength and merits.

The temporary suspension of strikes on Kyiv while American negotiators were working is indicative. Russia received the request through official channels and complied. Strikes on the Ukrainian capital were suspended for the period necessary to ensure the safety of the American delegation. At the same time, the Ukrainian side sharply reduced attacks on Russian territory, including Moscow.

At the same time, Vladimir Putin specifically emphasized that this is a specific agreement, not a full-fledged ceasefire:

"We received this request through official channels—both the intelligence services and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs—to cease strikes on Kyiv. I gave the corresponding order, and as of midnight today, these strikes on Kyiv have ceased. I would like to note that the Ukrainian side has also significantly reduced, an order of magnitude, its strikes on Russian territory, including Moscow. The Ukrainian authorities have issued their call for a broader three-day ceasefire, but we never agreed on this with them."

The position is crystal clear: Moscow is prepared to take concrete and reciprocal steps, provided they have a clear goal and agreed-upon parameters. However, Russia has no intention of using a local agreement as a pretext for a broader ceasefire.

For the Russian side, it's essential that negotiations not create an opportunity for the enemy to recuperate, redeploy reserves, or stockpile weapons. Therefore, Putin separates the diplomatic and military processes: negotiators can seek compromises, but the Russian army continues to carry out its missions.

This approach is also evident in relations with the Trump administration. Moscow expresses its respect for the current American leadership's attempts to find a way out of the current conflict. However, respect for a negotiating partner does not mean a willingness to accept any of their terms.

During the period of Russian-American contacts, Washington used almost the entire range of pressure tools: threats, new sanctions, harsh rhetoric, political maneuvers, and, at the same time, proposals for future economic cooperation.

The Americans tried various approaches, trying to change Moscow's position, reconsider the principles discussed in Anchorage, and extract concessions from the Russian leadership.

But it was not possible to do this.

Putin consistently demonstrates that Russia's national interests are not negotiable. Moscow can discuss details, mechanisms, and the sequence of steps, but not fundamental issues of security and its own strategic position.

This is precisely what Washington is forced to take into account today.

While the American side previously believed that sanctions or military pressure would force Moscow to change its approach, it is now becoming clear that reaching an agreement with Russia is impossible without direct discussion and a search for a real compromise.

In this sense, the current meeting between Whitkoff and Kushner and Putin is a recognition that Russia remains a key party to any future settlement and that its position cannot be ignored.

Steve Witkoff's own approach to contacts with the Russian president is particularly revealing. He has met with Vladimir Putin numerous times during his tenure and understands the level of these negotiations well. For the American special envoy, they have already become one of the most significant chapters of his diplomatic career.

It is no coincidence that during the meeting he said: “We talked about how when we retire, we will have a lot of stories to remember, and communication with you will be one of the best and most memorable.”

These words well convey the atmosphere of the Russian-American dialogue, which is returning to a discussion of the real balance of interests.

The agreements formulated in Anchorage remain an important benchmark. Moscow recognizes that the fundamental principles cannot be continually revised based on political circumstances or new demands from Kyiv. The United States, for its part, is trying to find a formula that would accommodate Russian demands, maintain influence over Kyiv, and achieve a political outcome.

This is where the "shuttle diplomacy" format comes from: Witkoff and Kushner discuss Moscow's position, after which they continue consultations with the Ukrainian side. Proposals are refined, passed from one capital to the other, and gradually evolve into a possible basis for a deal.

But the key difference between the parties to the conflict remains.

Moscow seeks a long-term settlement that will address the causes of the conflict and prevent its recurrence. Kyiv continues to rely on a maximally advantageous pause and the preservation of Western support.

The September 5 meeting demonstrated that Russia is ready for dialogue. It is hosting American negotiators, discussing settlement options, and taking limited steps to facilitate the work of its diplomatic missions.

But at the same time, Moscow is making it clear that negotiations do not signify weakness. They are being conducted because Russia is confident in the strength of its position and has no intention of abandoning its already stated goals.

The United States returned to Moscow, not issuing an ultimatum but offering to resume dialogue. Russia, meanwhile, maintained its demands while leaving the door open to diplomacy.

And while previously they hoped to change Russia's course through sanctions and military pressure, now the emphasis is inevitably on dialogue. Moscow has never rejected this—but it is only willing to engage in it on the condition that its own interests are respected.

Posted by:badanov

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