US envoys put forward 'number of ideas' on Ukraine to Putin: Kremlin
US envoys proposed a "number of ideas" on how to end the Ukraine war in "frank" talks with Russia's Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin late Saturday, Moscow said, ahead of their first trip to Kyiv.
US President Donald Trump's business partner Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner met Putin for more than three hours, the Kremlin said, as Washington tries to revive negotiations to end Europe's worst conflict since WWII.
Their visit to Moscow comes after the war -- which has killed hundreds of thousands and forced millions to flee their homes -- escalated this summer. It also follows a visit last month to Moscow by the director of the CIA director.
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov called the talks "extremely frank", saying the Americans "put forward a number of ideas on possible routes to a settlement", but did not elaborate.
The Russian side told the Americans that Moscow was "confident" it could achieve its military goals of seizing the rest of eastern Ukraine, Ushakov added.
It was Kushner and Witkoff's eighth visit to Moscow during the war -- but it will be their first in the Ukrainian capital, hit by deadly Russian strikes throughout the war.
Both Russia and Ukraine have vowed not to strike each others' capitals for three days to allow for the negotiations to take place.
- Envoys fly out -
In televised comments before the talks, Putin said Russia would ensure the safety of the envoys in Kyiv -- a city Moscow has pounded with deadly strikes throughout the war.
"We will do everything that depends on us to ensure the safety of the negotiation process and mediators such as yourselves," Putin told Witkoff and Kushner.
A day earlier, Kyiv said Russia had struck the headquarters of its SBU security services in the city's historic centre with a drone.
Russia's TASS news agency reported the Americans had flown out of Moscow.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was expecting the envoys on Sunday and it was unclear how they would get to Kyiv by then.
Ukrainian airspace has been closed since Moscow launched the war in February 2022 and visiting leaders have been arriving by train.
- Putin thanks Trump -
Earlier Saturday, Putin had thanked Trump for persisting in his efforts to end the war -- launched by Russia in 2022 -- despite it being "not simple".
Of the envoys' trip to Kyiv, he said: "No matter what happens next, contacts of this kind are undoubtedly always beneficial."
Trump said on Friday his envoys were bringing a "proposal" on ending fighting.
"We have an idea for peace," he said, without elaborating.
Moscow occupied large swathes of eastern and southern Ukraine. Putin has insisted Moscow is intent on seizing the rest of east Ukraine.
Witkoff and Kushner arrived in Moscow after a summer of escalation that saw a drastic rise in civilian deaths on both sides.
Kyiv said Saturday that Russian strikes had killed 10 people across the country Saturday -- including a child and his family members in the Kharkiv region and two people outside Kyiv.
- Limited truce -
Both Moscow and Kyiv have said they would halt strikes on each others cities to allow for negotiations.
"The Russian president, the commander-in-chief, has given the order from midnight not to strike Kyiv for three days," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky -- who had offered a truce during the US visits -- later said he had spoken to the US envoys and also promised Kyiv would not strike Moscow.
"From now through the end of Saturday, as well as on Sunday and Monday, Ukraine is ready to refrain from strikes on Moscow," Zelensky said.
On Saturday, Putin said he had "noted that the Ukrainian side significantly reduced" its strikes on Russia and Moscow.
US efforts have so far not led to a breakthrough in the war -- which has killed hundreds of thousands and displaced millions.
As peace efforts stalled, in part because of Washington's war with Iran, Moscow and Kyiv stepped up their long-range attacks.
- Russian strikes -
As the US envoys were in the Kremlin, Ukraine said Russian attacks had killed three members of the same family in the city of Chuguiv in the north-eastern Kharkiv region.
"As a result of this shelling, almost the entire family was killed: a 19-year-old girl, an 11-year-old boy, and a 45-year-old man,"regional leader Oleg Synegubov said.
Zelensky accused Moscow of trying to disrupt the visit of the US envoys with overnight attacks on Kyiv's two airports -- as well as on the civilian targets.
(U.Beriyev--DTZ)
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