Putin Hosts Trump Envoys Kushner and Witkoff for Ukraine Talks in Moscow

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a three-day halt to airstrikes on Kyiv to accommodate US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who arrived at the Kremlin for direct talks on ending the war in Ukraine. The Ukrainian government agreed not to threaten Russian airspace during the visit, while Putin called the situation "difficult" but expressed comfort working with the envoys. The talks mark a resumption after months of pause due to Washington's focus on Iran. The visit follows CIA Director John Ratcliffe's trip to Moscow on August 25, the first by a CIA chief since 2021. Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov reiterated Russia's demands for Ukraine to renounce NATO membership and cede four regions.