Putin Again Says Russia Will Take Donbas Within Months. US Envoys Remind Him of Last Year’s Promise

US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff pressed Russian leader Vladimir Putin during September talks in Moscow over his failure to capture Ukraine’s Donetsk region as previously claimed, according to report from The New York Times citing a source familiar with the discussions and a US administration official.

During the meeting, Putin spoke about alleged advances by Russian forces in the invasion zone and expressed confidence that he would achieve his objectives. These goals pertain to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, an operation that has now lasted longer than both World War I and World War II.

According to reporting by The New York Times, Putin claimed his military would secure full control over Donbas within months.

“With all due respect, you told us the exact same thing a year ago,” Kushner replied to Putin. “What are the chances that in a year we’ll return right here and you’ll be saying the exact same thing? Maybe we shouldn't waste a year?” he asked, as reported by the NYT source.

According to Kushner, the Trump administration’s task as mediators is to find a creative solution that allows both sides to move forward.

He stated that Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy are deeply committed to negotiations, adding that they have heard Putin is equally committed.

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War in Ukraine

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During their September 2026 visit to Moscow, US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held a three-hour meeting with Vladimir Putin to discuss approaches to ending Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

According to presidential aide Yuri Ushakov, the US delegation presented several proposals for a potential settlement and agreed to consider Moscow's position during their subsequent talks in Kyiv.

The discussions also touched on potential US-Russian economic initiatives, after which the envoys departed for Poland en route to the Ukrainian capital while a temporary three-day pause on Russian strikes against Kyiv was enacted.

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