U.S. envoys met for more than three hours with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a late-night session aimed at advancing a potential deal to end the nearly four-year war in Ukraine, as President Donald Trump’s push for a negotiated settlement continued to intensify.
The meeting took place just after midnight Thursday and included Trump confidants Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, along with newly appointed Board of Peace senior advisor Josh Greunbaum. The talks came as the World Economic Forum in Davos was drawing to a close, underscoring the administration’s effort to pair high-level diplomacy with public pressure for an end to the conflict.
Footage shared by the Kremlin on Telegram showed Putin greeting the U.S. delegation alongside his foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov and special envoy Kirill Dmitriev. The video depicted the leaders shaking hands ahead of the closed-door meeting, signaling the seriousness of the engagement.
According to reporting, the discussions centered on a 20-point peace plan designed to halt the Russian invasion of Ukraine. That plan has been stalled by disagreements over Russian demands for territory in eastern Ukraine, areas that Ukraine has largely managed to defend over the course of the war.
The immediate outcome of the talks was not clear. The meeting followed comments earlier in the day from Trump suggesting that a deal was “reasonably close.” Witkoff also indicated that negotiations were down to a single unresolved issue, according to Reuters.
The Kremlin meeting came only hours after Trump sat down with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Davos. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One after that conversation, Trump described the meeting as productive and said both sides appeared increasingly open to a deal.
“We’re discussing things that have been discussed for six or seven months,” Trump said, explaining that Zelensky approached the talks with a willingness to reach an agreement. Trump added that he had not always been certain Zelensky wanted a deal, but now believed he did.
“I think he should want to make a deal,” Trump said. “President Putin would like to make a deal. I think that President Zelensky would like to make a deal.”
Zelensky, however, used his appearance at the World Economic Forum to criticize European leaders, accusing them of failing to take meaningful action against Putin. In his speech Thursday, Zelensky said Europe spends too much time talking about the future while avoiding decisive steps in the present.
“Europe loves to discuss the future, but avoids taking action today,” Zelensky said. “Where is the line of leaders who are ready to act?”
The contrasting messages highlighted ongoing tensions among Ukraine’s allies, even as the Trump administration pressed forward with its own diplomatic track. While Zelensky voiced frustration with Europe’s response, Trump publicly emphasized his belief that all parties involved now recognize the need for a negotiated end to the conflict.
The late-night talks with Putin marked one of the most direct engagements between the Trump administration’s inner circle and the Russian leader as part of the peace effort. With disagreements over territory still unresolved and no immediate breakthrough announced, the negotiations remain fragile.
Still, the fact that senior envoys spent hours in direct talks with Putin, following meetings with Zelensky earlier the same day, reflects the administration’s belief that a deal is within reach and that sustained pressure on all sides could finally bring the war to a close.
