“I think both sides have expressed an interest in some limited ceasefire that involve grain and energy. Obviously, you know, that won't be easy either. [Rubio spoke after meeting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the U.N.]
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Trump Sends Witkoff and Kushner to Moscow and Kyiv With "a Proposal to End the War" — Putin Halts Strikes on Kyiv for 72 Hours, and a Republican Senator Answers That "You Don't Get Any Credit for Kissing His Ass"
September 6, 2026
Special envoy Steve Witkoff and White House adviser Jared Kushner met Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on Saturday, September 5, 2026, for more than three hours followed by dinner — the first substantive US-Russia meeting since direct talks broke down roughly six months earlier. Announcing the trip from the Oval Office the day before, President Trump called the two men "great negotiators" and said "they're bringing with them a proposal to end the war." Putin ordered a 72-hour pause in strikes on Kyiv so the envoys could travel on, and on Sunday, September 6, they met President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv — the first visit by either man to the Ukrainian capital — touring the bomb-damaged St. Sophia's Cathedral before talks. Kushner said afterward that he and Witkoff wanted to "go back to the trilateral format" with Russia and Ukraine at the same table; Witkoff said he was "confident that there'll be a good resolution here." The White House said the delegation also thanked Putin for releasing former US Marine Robert Gilman from Russian custody. The substance of the American proposal was not released. The sharpest on-record American criticism came from within the president's own party: Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), on NBC's "Meet the Press" the same Sunday, called Putin "a pirate" with "blood under his fingernails," said "you don't get any credit for kissing his ass," and argued the United States has Putin cornered and should press the advantage rather than trade concessions.
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21 Statements
“I think they're going to reach a deal, and I don't want to say what the deal will be. [Trump, at his meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly.]
“[Before meeting Zelensky at the U.N., Trump said of Ukraine's strikes on Russian oil refineries:] It is a serious hit on the Russians. It's also a serious hit on the price of diesel. … I think it's going to happen. [Zelensky said afterward that Ukraine was ready for an energy ceasefire.]
“Any negotiated settlement must include Ukraine as the central party in decisions about its future and be backed by strong, binding U.S. and transatlantic security guarantees that deter renewed Russian aggression. [Readout of a bipartisan Senate delegation meeting with President Zelensky in New York.]
“Ukraine has agreed not to hit Russian Energy targets. Russia has agreed to do, likewise!
“Mr. Zelensky has to do one thing. He has to stop knocking out diesel fuel in Russia. Let him go after targets but not diesel fuel, because he's causing a shortage of diesel fuel.
“President Putin laid out his line of what he wants to achieve. If [Ukraine] wanted to withdraw to that line, then obviously, you know, we have the rest of the deal set up and put together. Ukraine right now does not want to do that.
“He is wanting to make a deal, and if (Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelenskiy is wanting to make a deal, that'd be very nice. … The holdup is two people who hate each other. … I think more than anything else, it's two people that hate each other.
“[The attack] was complex, and the Russians deliberately planned it to cause as much damage as possible to people's lives, using ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, anti-ship missiles, and Shahed drones. There is significant damage to residential buildings and other civilian infrastructure.
“Substantive progress was made, including movement on scheduling additional trilateral talks. … President Trump is working hard to stop the killing and work towards a lasting and durable peace.
“confident that there’ll be a good resolution here
“If the war continues — and we expect the war will continue — we are counting heavily on the winter aid package. We are all on the same side. We all want the war to end.
“We've always been treated respectfully by President Putin and his team. Relationships are critical in terms of solving conflicts like this.
“I won’t faint with surprise if our guys don’t come out without a deal.
“This guy’s a pirate. He’s got blood under his fingernails.
“You don’t get any credit for kissing his ass.
“We got Putin down. We’re choking him to death.
“Then we ought to help Ukraine and help Europe.
“One thing Steve and I really thought would be productive is to go back to the trilateral format.
“They’re bringing with them a proposal to end the war.
“We have an idea for peace. I sent Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, two great negotiators…they’ve done a great job, and we sent them over to see whether or not we can get something done. And there may be a good chance that we’ll do it.