Kremlin calls US envoys' Ukraine talks 'useful' despite no breakthrough

Washington's push for peace just hit a familiar wall in Moscow. Following a lengthy, high-stakes summit between Vladimir Putin and U.S. envoys, the Kremlin admitted the dialogue was "constructive"—code for plenty of talk, zero movement.

With no breakthrough to show for hours of intense negotiations, the spotlight abruptly shifts to Ukraine as the American team takes their proposals straight to President Zelenskyy.

The Kremlin's assessment of high-level diplomatic talks involving Russian leadership and American representatives highlights several key developments.

Russian President Vladimir Putin held a three-hour and ten-minute meeting in Moscow with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to discuss potential paths toward ending the war in Ukraine.

Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov described the discussions as "substantive, constructive and extremely frank," calling them timely and useful. However, he confirmed there was no immediate breakthrough.

As reported by AP news, the U.S. envoys outlined a number of ideas for a settlement. In response, Putin emphasized that Moscow is confident in achieving its objectives, pointed to ongoing battlefield progress, and reiterated that any durable agreement must address the "root causes" of the conflict.

Beyond the war, the talks also touched upon bilateral economic issues and potential major Russian-American projects.

Following the Moscow meetings, the U.S. envoys traveled to Kyiv to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. 

The discussions coincided with a brief, temporary local halt in capital city airstrikes agreed upon by both sides to facilitate the diplomatic push.