U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff said he and Jared Kushner will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday in discussions focused on peace and the Ukraine‑Russia war. Witkoff said Russia requested the meeting and confirmed he will meet Ukrainian officials at a later date. The Kremlin and TASS reported the meeting is expected to take place in Moscow, and Witkoff said an invitation has been extended for Putin to join a proposed "Board of Peace."
Witkoff and Kushner To Meet Putin in Moscow This Week as U.S. Pursues Peace Talks
FILE PHOTO: U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff delivers a press conference upon the signing of the declaration on deploying post-ceasefire force in Ukraine, during the so-called 'Coalition of the Willing' summit, at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, January 6, 2026. Ludovic Marin/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
DAVOS, Switzerland — Jan 21: U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff said he and President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner plan to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday to discuss peace efforts and the Ukraine‑Russia conflict. Witkoff also said he will meet Ukrainian officials at a later date.
"We plan to discuss peace, and Ukraine and Russia," Witkoff told reporters in Davos one day after meeting his Russian counterpart. "I'm hopeful... we need a peace."
Witkoff told CNBC that Russia requested the meeting, calling that request "a significant statement on their part." The TASS state news agency, citing the Kremlin, reported that the meeting would take place in Moscow. The Kremlin had earlier indicated it was preparing to receive Witkoff and Kushner, although it had not confirmed firm dates.
When asked whether Putin would join what Witkoff described as President Trump's "Board of Peace," Witkoff said, "I think so," and reiterated that an invitation had been extended to the Russian leader.
Ukraine's chief negotiator, Rustem Umerov, said talks with U.S. officials on resolving the nearly four‑year war would continue at the World Economic Forum in Davos. A source told Reuters that Witkoff's meeting on the sidelines of the forum with Putin's envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, lasted two hours.
The United States has held separate discussions with Russia, Kyiv and European partners aimed at ending what has become the deadliest war in Europe since World War II, but no agreement has yet been reached despite repeated promises of progress from U.S. leaders. Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, triggering the largest confrontation between Moscow and the West since the Cold War.
Reporting: Yalahuzian Vitalii in Davos and Devika Nair in Bengaluru; additional reporting by Susan Heavey. Editing by Bernadette Baum and Chizu Nomiyama.
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