Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting of the Council for Strategic Development and National Projects at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, on Aug. 19, 2026. Sputnik/Gavriil Grigorov/Reuters
Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump held talks after U.S. envoys visited Moscow and Kyiv over the past weekend, with Trump saying he wants ties with Russia restored, according to a Putin aide.
Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov told Russian media outlets on Tuesday that Putin and Trump held an hourlong call that he described as constructive and candid.
“The leaders exchanged views on the outcomes of the trips of U.S. special presidential representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Moscow and Kiev in the businesslike and mutually respectful manner characteristic of them,” he said, according to Interfax.
Both Kushner and Witkoff met with Putin in Moscow and held talks for three hours before traveling to Kyiv to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss a peace deal.
Ushakov told state-run RT that Trump and Putin viewed the envoys’ visits positively and said that the diplomatic efforts would continue.
The U.S. president told his Russian counterpart that ending the war in Ukraine would restore ties between the United States and Russia, which would reap “enormous benefits” he added.
Putin also said he welcomed the prospect of “a constructive partnership between two great powers,” Ushakov added.
Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, said on Sunday that the U.S. president is following the recent meetings with close interest and is seeking to “find a pathway to end this war,” according to a transcript released by Zelenskyy’s office.
“What President Trump’s been very focused on is – how do we create a framework that could actually lead to a durable peace?” he said.
Zelenskyy indicated that he backs efforts to restart negotiations to end the conflict.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on the sidelines of the NATO leaders' summit in Ankara, Turkey, on July 7, 2026. Michael Kappeler/Reuters
“We may prefer certain formats of negotiations, but nevertheless, it is worse when there are no formats of negotiations at all. I want to recognize the role of Steve and Jared in restarting the negotiation process today. Thank you for coming. And we are grateful to the U.S. President that you are here with us in Kyiv today,” Zelenskyy said on Sunday.
In recent days, Russia has intensified its attacks on Kyiv and other cities with bombardments stretching into daylight hours, taking advantage of Ukraine’s shortage of air defense systems.
On Friday, a Russian drone hit one of the most important government buildings in Kyiv—the headquarters of Ukraine’s Security Service, known as the SBU, which is one of the agencies involved in carrying out deep-strike operations inside Russia.
Smoke rises over buildings following Russian air attacks, in downtown Kyiv on Sept. 8, 2026. Mladen Antonov/AFP via Getty Images
Long-range strikes by Ukraine have hit Russian military facilities, oil refineries, and e-commerce hubs, seeking to undermine the Kremlin’s war effort and economy, as well as make ordinary citizens feel the consequences of the war.
In a social media post on Saturday, Zelenskyy said that Russia had carried out overnight strikes on Kyiv and Boryspil international airports, and linked the attack to the planned U.S. visit.
Before Kushner and Witkoff visited Europe, Trump told reporters last week that the White House has an idea for a peace deal and that a proposal to end the war, which started in February 2022 after Russia invaded Ukraine, would be offered to both Kyiv and Moscow.
“I sent them over to see whether or not we can get something done, and there may be a good chance that we'll do it,” Trump told reporters at the White House, adding that the prospect of peace might be difficult because of the mutual animosity between Putin and Zelenskyy.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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