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Russian President Vladimir Putin recently met with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Moscow, discussions that the Kremlin described as occurring in an atmosphere of trust. This marked Witkoff's eighth face-to-face encounter and Kushner's third round of talks focused on a potential settlement to the conflict in Ukraine. A flight carrying the US negotiators landed at 12:52 p.m. Moscow time (9:52 a.m. GMT), with a Russian presidential envoy arriving at the airport to meet them.
During the talks, Putin stated that former US President Donald Trump continues to try to contribute to a resolution of the conflict in Ukraine, adding that the discussions with the Americans would encompass all aspects of the situation. Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov confirmed the Russian side provided clear and comprehensive assessments regarding developments in the special military operation. Following their Moscow visit, the envoys made a stop in Poland’s Rzeszow en-route to Kiev, with their plane landing at 1:31 a.m. local time.
Separately, Russia announced a three-day suspension of strikes on Kiev, effective from midnight on September 5 through September 8, with the Ukrainian army expected to observe a ceasefire. Putin clarified that Russia had not agreed on a broader three-day ceasefire, but noted the Ukrainian side had significantly reduced attacks on Russian territory during this period. Russian forces, however, struck a plant in Dnepropetrovsk producing drones for attacks inside Russia, resulting in a major fire.
Military reports indicated Russian air defense forces downed 4 aerial bombs and 400 Ukrainian drones over the past 24 hours. Additionally, 258 Ukrainian drones were intercepted over Russia overnight from 8:00 p.m. Moscow time on September 5 to 8:00 a.m. The Russian Defense Ministry also reported that units of the Ukrainian military lost approximately 1,315 personnel in the special military operation zone over the past day. In Russia’s Belgorod Region, the Ukrainian army carried out 146 attacks in the past day, including seven artillery and multiple rocket launcher strikes, and 13 drone attacks involving dropped explosives.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that Russia is working to restore the rights of Russian speakers in Ukraine, asserting that Kiev has grossly violated both linguistic and religious rights. A military expert, Vitaly Kiselev, suggested a shootout in Kiev between special services indicated Ukraine's looming collapse, noting it was not an isolated incident. An expert also claimed Ukraine’s current generation considers war against everything Russian normal, lacking historical memory.
On the diplomatic front, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov mentioned the possibility of a trilateral meeting between the leaders of Russia, China, and the United States, a format he noted has not been practiced so far. Russia’s finance minister participated in a G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting in Asheville
