Vladimir Putin greets Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner (L) and real estate developer Steve Witkoff (C) in the Kremlin, Moscow, Russia, September 5, 2026
The Week in TrumpLand — “Grandpa Has Left The Building” From Ukraine to Iran to Canada
Saturday’s Coverage: On Eve of Visit by Trump Envoys, Russia Strikes State Security in Kyiv
Trying to revive the Trump Administration’s support of his demands for Ukraine’s surrender, Vladimir Putin has hosted Donald Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in the Kremlin.
Putin met the real estate developer and Trump’s son-in-law for three hours on Saturday. The two men are scheduled to travel to Kyiv, their first visit during Russia’s invasion, today.
Refusing talks for a ceasefire on current frontlines, the Russians are seeking renewed US backing for Ukraine’s surrender of territory, with the rest of the country left without significant security guarantees.
The White House said the Kremlin meeting “discussed substantive plans for next steps”. These will be announced in “coming weeks”, as the envoys “look forward to equally productive meetings…in Ukraine”.
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said the envoys “put forward a number of ideas on possible routes to a settlement” in “substantive, constructive, extremely frank, and trustworthy” talks. He did not give any further information.
Indicating Russia was maintaining its terms for Ukrainian capitulation, Ushakov said Putin told the US envoys that Moscow was “confident” it could seize the rest of eastern Ukraine.
In the filmed introduction to the meeting, Putin greeted Witkoff and Kushner:
Dear colleagues, I warmly welcome you to Moscow. The situation is, of course, not simple.
But before we begin to address it, I would like to ask everyone to convey their best wishes and words of gratitude to US President Mr. Trump.
