Vladimir Putin has held more than three hours of talks with Donald Trump's special representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner at the Kremlin, in what could mark a significant step towards ending the war in Ukraine.
Newly released images from inside the Kremlin show the Russian president meeting the two envoys around a table, as Washington seeks to revive stalled peace negotiations. The talks in Moscow lasted over three hours, with the Kremlin later describing them as "highly useful". No specifics of any agreement were disclosed.
Fresh proposal delivered
On Friday, Mr Trump said the two men were delivering a fresh proposal aimed at resolving the conflict, which has now entered its fifth year. At the start of the meeting, Putin told the American representatives that the situation was "not simple" and asked them to pass on his "best wishes" to Mr Trump.
The meeting comes amid some of the most intense combat in recent weeks. Russia and Ukraine have agreed to temporarily halt attacks on each other's capitals while the US envoys travel between Moscow and Kyiv.
Ceasefire on capitals
The Kremlin announced that Putin had ordered Russian forces to refrain from striking Kyiv for three days from midnight Saturday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy subsequently said Ukraine would also hold off from attacks on Moscow through Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
Mr Witkoff and Mr Kushner are expected to travel to Kyiv on Sunday to meet President Zelenskyy. It will be their first trip to the Ukrainian capital since Mr Trump returned to the White House.
Conflict continues
The diplomatic push comes as the conflict continues to escalate, with Russia and Ukraine launching increasingly extensive missile and drone attacks. Russian strikes killed at least seven people in Ukraine on Saturday, Ukrainian officials reported, while Moscow said its forces had shot down 53 Ukrainian drones.
The latest discussions also take place against a backdrop of deep disagreements over the terms of any possible peace deal. Russia has continued to demand substantial territorial concessions from Ukraine and has rejected Kyiv's NATO membership aspirations. Ukraine has dismissed demands that would force it to cede territory, and the Kremlin has given no indication that Putin is willing to abandon those fundamental demands.
