Putin tells US envoys he wants lasting peace in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Moscow to discuss ending the war in Ukraine, expressing a desire for peace that would "last forever." The Kremlin meeting occurred two days after direct negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow in Abu Dhabi, with Putin stating only a border demarcation issue remains pending with Ukraine. He also proposed a new truce experiment in Kostyantynivka, eastern Ukraine, following a positive view of a temporary ceasefire in Oleshky. Putin criticized foreign troop presence in Ukrainian territory as "unacceptable" and a "legitimate target" for Russia. Witkoff reported progress on prisoner exchanges and said European countries, though not directly in negotiations, want to participate. The US envoys' visit follows nearly four years of conflict, with Witkoff planning to speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky afterward.