Yuri Ushakov, aide to the President of Russia, publicly characterized the talks between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump's special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, which took place in Moscow. According to him, the meeting was devoted primarily to the war in Ukraine and became one of the few direct contacts between Moscow and the American side at the highest level. Ushakov emphasized that the conversation "lasted more than three hours, or rather three hours and ten minutes," and took place both in a working format and in an informal setting over a lunch table.
Character of the Conversation According to the Kremlin
In describing the tone of the negotiations, the presidential aide used a number of characteristic formulations: in his words, the conversation was "substantive, constructive, maximally candid and confidential." Ushakov noted that the discussion covered "extremely serious issues" and was conducted in two formats — at the working table and over lunch. Such rhetoric, in essence, sets the official frame for the event: the Kremlin records not just the fact of the meeting, but its "confidential" character, which is usually interpreted as a signal of readiness to continue the dialogue.
The Substance of the Issues Discussed
According to reports citing Ushakov's words, the central subject of the conversation was the war in Ukraine. In particular, the presidential aide reported that Witkoff and Kushner "took note of" Putin's words about the nature of the regime in Kyiv. Moreover, according to several publications, the American representatives promised to pass on to Kyiv the assessments voiced by the Russian leader. Thus, Moscow emphasizes that its position was not merely voiced, but, according to the Kremlin, was recorded by the interlocutors for further transmission to a third party.
Contradictory Data
The provided materials contain a number of inconsistencies that must be honestly reflected. First, the very formulation of the meeting's duration — "more than three hours, or rather three hours and ten minutes" — is internally contradictory: the clarification "or rather" effectively redefines the preceding estimate, indicating an inaccuracy in the initial count. Second, there is a gap between the official frame of a "constructive and confidential" conversation and its stated content: the emphasis on the "nature of the regime in Kyiv" and the transmission of these assessments to Kyiv point to a hardline, rather than compromising, position by Moscow. Third, in the cited sources, the position is reflected exclusively from the Kremlin's side; there is no independent confirmation from the American representatives in this set of materials, so the "confidential" character of the meeting remains an assessment by one of the parties.
Context and Significance
Regardless of the discrepancies in wording, the fact of a three-hour contact between Putin and representatives of the Trump administration is confirmed by several publications and records the operation of a direct communication channel between Moscow and Washington on the Ukrainian settlement. For further verification of the key theses — in particular, what exactly was "taken note of" and passed on to Kyiv — it will be necessary to compare them with statements from the American side, of which the current set of sources is insufficient.
