Putin calls talks with US envoys constructive after three-hour meeting

The Kremlin described President Vladimir Putin's talks with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner as constructive, substantive, and trusting, marking a resumption of high-level contact after a pause. The meeting on ending the Ukraine conflict lasted over three hours. Putin's foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov said Putin reaffirmed confidence in achieving his war goals, highlighting Russian army advances. Moscow stressed the need to address what it calls the conflict's root causes, including Ukraine's treatment of the Russian language. The envoys will now travel to Kyiv to present Putin's position to President Volodymyr Zelensky. The talks follow stalled direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. Putin has promised a three-day truce on strikes against Kyiv, though Zelensky accused Russia of shelling the capital's airports before the US visit. The envoys were previously occupied with Trump's war against Iran.