Russian president Vladimir Putin held more than three hours of talks with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Moscow as Donald Trump’s administration stepped up efforts to broker an end to the Ukraine war.
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said the talks were “substantive, constructive and extremely frank”, but he gave no indication of any breakthrough.
He added that “the negotiations were timely and highly useful for both sides”. He said the US envoys “outlined a number of ideas regarding possible avenues for a settlement”, while Putin “reaffirmed Russia’s readiness to continue working with the US to find a political and diplomatic solution” to the conflict.
Putin told the envoys that Russia was making “real progress” on the battlefield, and that “all the root causes of the conflict” needed to be addressed.
Witkoff and Kushner have since left Moscow and are due to meet Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Sunday.
Putin said he had ordered Russian forces to halt strikes on Kyiv after receiving a request through diplomatic and intelligence channels, while Ukraine has said it will similarly refrain from striking Moscow through Monday.
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Key Points
- Putin welcomes talks with US envoys
- Pictured: Witkoff and Kushner meet with Putin
- Putin orders pause in strikes on Kyiv, Moscow claims
- US envoy Steve Witkoff thanks Putin for the 'incredible memories'
- Zelensky says there will be no strikes on Moscow while US envoys meet with Putin
Putin and Trump envoys discuss potential Russia-US business projects
06:30 , Shahana YasminTalks between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Moscow went beyond efforts to end the Ukraine war, with the two sides also discussing potential major Russian-US economic projects, the Kremlin said.
Putin aide Yuri Ushakov said: “Economic issues and potential major, mutually beneficial Russian-American projects were discussed in some detail.” He said the meeting was not simply an exchange of views over the war and described the discussions as “timely and highly useful for both sides.”
Global food prices rise to highest level in nearly four years
06:10 , Shahana YasminGlobal food prices rose to their highest level since November 2022 in August, with escalating attacks in the Black Sea disrupting grain exports from both Ukraine and Russia, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization said.
Russian and Ukrainian attacks on ports, grain terminals, and commercial vessels have delayed or cancelled dozens of cargoes during the peak export season. Some Asian buyers have already turned to wheat from Australia and Argentina to replace delayed Black Sea shipments, Reuters reported.
The FAO’s cereal price index rose 2.2 per cent in August, while wheat prices climbed 2.6 per cent and were 15 per cent higher than a year earlier. The agency specifically cited “persistent disruptions to Black Sea export logistics” as a factor behind the increase.
IAEA brokers ceasefire to restore power to Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant
05:50 , Shahana YasminA local ceasefire has taken effect around the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant to allow repairs to a damaged power line, the International Atomic Energy Agency said.
“This is a much-needed step at a critical time for nuclear safety and security. With diesel fuel supplies under increasing strain, the damaged power line must be repaired without delay so reliable external power can be restored,” Director General Grossi said.
Ukrainian technicians, monitored by the IAEA, began work on the 330kV Ferosplavna-1 line after demining, and the repairs are expected to take several days. The plant has been without external power since 20 August and has been relying on diesel generators to run essential cooling systems, with fuel supplies under increasing strain, the IAEA said.
Grossi added that the situation was “deeply concerning”, warning the plant could face a station blackout within days without restored external power or continued diesel supplies.
Russia says it will not strike Kyiv for three days during US visit
05:30 , Shahana YasminRussia has ordered its military not to strike Kyiv for three days as US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner travel to the Ukrainian capital, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
Putin later told the envoys he had received a request through diplomatic and intelligence channels to guarantee their safety. “I issued the relevant order, and no strikes have been carried out on Kyiv since midnight,” he said.
Watch: Modi urges Putin to end Ukraine war ‘for humanity’s sake’
05:15 , Shahana YasminIndian prime minister Narendra Modi urged Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine during talks in Bishkek on 31 August, saying “every step toward peace gives all of humanity real hope”.
Putin thanked Modi and replied: “We are moving forward along this path.”
Putin praises Trump’s efforts to end Ukraine war
05:00 , Shahana YasminVladimir Putin praised Donald Trump’s efforts to end the war in Ukraine as he met the US president’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Moscow.
Speaking at the start of the meeting, Putin said: “Understanding that he is entering a difficult situation, he nevertheless does not stop his efforts to help bring about a settlement and to make his contribution to resolving the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.”
Witkoff, meanwhile, said Trump had sent his best wishes and thanked Putin for the limited ceasefire during their visit.
The talks lasted more than three hours, with Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov later describing them as “highly useful”, although no breakthrough was announced.
Kremlin says Putin’s Ukraine peace demands remain ‘unshakeable’
04:45 , Shahana YasminThe Kremlin said on Friday that Vladimir Putin’s demands for ending the war in Ukraine remained “unshakeable”, one day before the Russian president was due to meet US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Moscow.
Moscow says Ukraine must cede the entirety of the four regions claimed by Russia – Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson – and abandon its ambition to join NATO. Kyiv has consistently rejected surrendering territory.
Trump said on Friday that Witkoff and Kushner were taking “a proposal to end the war”, but did not disclose its contents. After their meeting with Putin on Saturday, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said the US envoys had “outlined a number of ideas regarding possible avenues for a settlement”.
Kremlin says Putin’s Ukraine peace demands remain ‘unshakeable’
04:30 , Shahana YasminThe Kremlin said on Friday that Vladimir Putin’s demands for ending the war in Ukraine remained “unshakeable”, one day before the Russian president was due to meet US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Moscow.
Moscow says Ukraine must cede the entirety of the four regions claimed by Russia – Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson – and abandon its ambition to join NATO. Kyiv has consistently rejected surrendering territory.
Trump said on Friday that Witkoff and Kushner were taking “a proposal to end the war”, but did not disclose its contents. After their meeting with Putin on Saturday, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said the US envoys had “outlined a number of ideas regarding possible avenues for a settlement”.
ICYMI: Russian attacks kill 4 in Ukraine as Moscow and Kyiv prepare for visit by US envoys
04:15 , Shahana Yasmin
Russian attacks kill 4 in Ukraine as Moscow and Kyiv prepare for visit by US envoys
Putin says Russia is making ‘real progress’ in Ukraine
04:00 , Shahana YasminRussian President Vladimir Putin told US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner that Russia was making “real progress” on the battlefield and remained confident of achieving its goals in Ukraine, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said.
Ushakov said Putin also stressed the need to address “all the root causes of the conflict” during more than three hours of talks in Moscow on Saturday.
Ukraine said Russia launched ballistic missiles and 167 drones overnight on Saturday, with 128 drones shot down or suppressed and strikes recorded at 23 locations. Five people were killed and five injured when a Russian ballistic missile hit an industrial enterprise in Kamianske, while Russian drones struck an Epicenter shopping centre in Mykolaiv, injuring two people.
Putin has ordered Russian forces not to strike Kyiv for three days from midnight on Saturday, while Zelensky said Ukraine would refrain from strikes on Moscow through Monday.
Witkoff and Kushner left Moscow after the talks and are due to meet Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Sunday.
Putin holds three-hour talks with Trump envoys with no breakthrough
03:48 , Shahana YasminRussian president Vladimir Putin held more than three hours of talks with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Moscow on Saturday, but there was no sign of a breakthrough in efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
Putin aide Yuri Ushakov said the Americans had “outlined a number of ideas regarding possible avenues for a settlement”, but did not disclose details. He described the talks as “timely and highly useful for both sides” and said they went beyond Ukraine to include economic issues and potential Russian-US projects.
A White House official described the talks as “substantive”, saying the next steps would be announced in the coming weeks. Witkoff and Kushner left Moscow after the meeting and are due in Kyiv on Sunday.
Putin meets with US envoys for three hours
03:04 , Holly BancroftRussian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump's envoys on Ukraine held "useful" talks on Saturday on a range of ideas to end the war in Ukraine, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters.
Another Russian official, Kirill Dmitriev, described Witkoff and Kushner’s trip to Moscow as an "important peacemaking visit," in the first Russian assessment following three hours of talks hosted by President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin.
Dmitriev, who took part in the talks, posted the comment on X along with pictures of himself seeing off US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner at a Moscow airport after the talks.
Serbia faces EU scrutiny over upcoming funeral of convicted war criminal Ratko Mladic
02:07 , Holly BancroftThe European Union is closely watching how membership candidate Serbia will handle the funeral of the former Bosnian Serb army commander Ratko Mladic, who was convicted of genocide by a UN court but remains a hero to many Serbs, an EU official said on Friday.
The EU's Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos said that the next few days “will be a very important test” after Mladic's remains were flown to Serbia on a government plane Thursday from The Hague, Netherlands, following his death in a hospital there last week.
Mladic was sentenced in 2017 to life imprisonment for orchestrating the massacre of more than 8,000 Muslims in Srebrenica in 1995; the yearslong siege of Bosnian capital of Sarajevo during the 1992-95 conflict; and other war crimes, including setting up concentration camps for detained non-Serb civilians and enemy soldiers.
Read more here:
Serbia faces EU scrutiny over upcoming funeral of convicted war criminal Ratko Mladic
Russian general accused of masterminding attack on children’s hospital ‘shot in head’
01:07 , Holly BancroftA Russian general who was linked with an attack on a children’s hospital in Ukraine is seriously injured after being shot in the head, according to reports, writes Alex Croft.
Major General Nikolai Varpakhovich is said to have been shot on Thursday morning in the village of Probuzhdenie near Engels, in Russia’s Saratov region.
Independent Russian outlet SotaVision said the attack was the third assassination attempt on Russian officers in the past two weeks.
Russian online newspaper Mash reported that the shooter rode up to a private home on a motorcycle and fired one bullet in the torso and one in the face. The air force officer’s driver was also reportedly shot but was able to call an ambulance.
Varpakhovich is believed to be in a critical condition in hospital, Mash reported.
Russian general accused of masterminding attack on school ‘shot in head’
Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva unable to compete after neutral status revoked
Sunday 6 September 2026 00:36 , Holly BancroftRussian figure skater Kamila Valieva is no longer eligible to compete in international events after her neutral athlete status was revoked, according to AP.
The latest twist in Valieva’s career comes more than four years after disputes about her positive doping test overshadowed the 2022 Beijing Olympics. She returned from a lengthy ban in December 2025 and has since competed in events in Russia.
A source told AP that Valieva was initially granted neutral status under a new International Skating Union rule for this season which states that skaters from Russia and Belarus are “presumed eligible unless they fall within the disqualifying criteria.”
Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva unable to compete after neutral status revoked
Recap: Putin says talks with US envoys are 'beneficial'
Sunday 6 September 2026 00:04 , Holly BancroftRussian President Vladimir Putin told US special representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on Saturday that contacts between Moscow and Washington were always beneficial, and that Russia found it convenient to work with them.
Mr Witkoff said US President Donald Trump had sent his best wishes to Mr Putin and thanked him for a ceasefire during the US delegation's visit. Mr Putin said Russia would do its utmost to ensure the safety of the mediators.
The two US special representatives arrived in Moscow for talks on ending the war in Ukraine.
Russian ministry reports fewer Ukrainian drones in airspace
Saturday 5 September 2026 23:17 , Holly BancroftThe Russian Defence Ministry reported 53 Ukrainian drones in Russian airspace on Saturday, significantly fewer than the average seen in recent months. Moscow is celebrating City Day on Saturday, with hundreds of thousands of people taking part in open-air festivities across the city.
A vast gulf remains between Russia and Ukraine on how to end the war, the deadliest in Europe since World War Two. A source close to the Kremlin, speaking before reports emerged of a possible trip by Trump's envoys, said Mr Putin was still intent on capturing more territory.
"There is no chance of reaching an agreement regarding the front line until Mr Putin finishes securing the remaining part of the Donetsk region," the source told Reuters, adding that the Kremlin leader was confident based on reports from his commanders that this would happen by the end of the year.
US envoy Steve Witkoff thanks Putin for the 'incredible memories'
Saturday 5 September 2026 23:02 , Holly BancroftUS envoy Steve Witkoff told Russian president Vladimir Putin in their meeting with Moscow that he was reflecting on all the “incredible and stories” that he will have when he retires.
The discussions reportedly lasted three hours but in a televised introduction Mr Witkoff told Mr Putin: “We were sitting outside just now, me, Jared, and Carol and then Yuri joined us, and we were all talking about when we retire we’ll have all these incredible stories and incredible memories and yours will be right at the top of it all”.
Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff tells Vladimir Putin, whose invading army has killed hundreds of thousands of people, raped and pillaged while waging the largest and bloodiest war on European soil since World War II, “when we retire, we’ll have all these incredible stories…
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) September 5, 2026
Putin tells Trump envoys that situation in Ukraine is 'difficult'
Saturday 5 September 2026 22:01 , Holly BancroftRussian president Vladimir Putin has told Trump’s envoys to Moscow that the situation in Ukraine is “difficult”.
Mr Putin also noted in his opening remarks that the intensity of Ukrainian attacks on Russia has also decreased and promised to ensure the safety of the US negotiators.
He said Russia did not yet agree to a broader three-day ceasefire. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he had spoken to the two US envoys set to visit Ukraine on Sunday, adding that Ukraine was prepared to refrain from strikes on Moscow through Monday.
Nato should not tolerate hybrid war, US ambassador says after Berlin blames Russia for drone attack
Saturday 5 September 2026 21:03 , Holly BancroftNato members should not tolerate deliberate actions of hybrid war, and the United States will stand by countries as they deal with these incidents, Matthew Whitaker, the US ambassador to NATO, said on Saturday.
Mr Whitaker said last month's attempted drone attack at Germany's Leipzig/Halle Airport, which Berlin has blamed on Russia, was more worrying than other recent incidents Nato members have faced due to Russian drones targeting Ukraine that strayed off course.
The response to these challenges is primarily national, but the United States supports countries when they are dealing with these acts, he said.
"Then you have what I would call the more concerning hybrid actions like we saw in Leipzig, like we have seen in Poland," Mr Whitaker said speaking on the sidelines of a business conference in Italy.
Nato members must be prepared, vigilant and also deliver a strong message when they are challenged by these events, he said.
"If we can identify who's doing it which Germany did we make sure we express strongly that is unacceptable and we will not tolerate it," Mr Whitaker said. Critical infrastructure, including energy assets, could be targeted and should be monitored by national authorities, he added.
In pictures: US presidential envoys meet with Putin
Saturday 5 September 2026 21:02 , Holly BancroftRussian President Vladimir Putin, Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov and Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev attend a meeting with US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump's son-in-law, at the Kremlin in Moscow.
The US envoys are meeting both Mr Putin and later Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky in a bid to progress peace talks.
Recap: Russian drone strikes Ukraine ‘MI5’ headquarters ahead of US peace talks
Saturday 5 September 2026 20:06 , Holly BancroftUkraine’s security service headquarters was set alight after a Russian drone struck it ahead of diplomatic talks with US officials on ending the war, writes Bryony Gooch.
Smoke could be seen above the SBU headquarters in Kyiv on Friday after a drone targeted the office of the acting head of the security service, Oleksandr Poklad, who was unscathed following the attack.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on social media that Russia would face a proportionate response.
“I spoke with the Head of the Security Service of Ukraine, Oleksandr Poklad. Unfortunately, a Russian drone struck the central building of the Security Service of Ukraine on Volodymyrska Street in Kyiv, across from St. Sophia Cathedral,” he said.
“All emergency services are on the scene. Everyone affected will receive the necessary assistance. The drone was aimed directly at the office of the Head of the Security Service in that building.
“I instructed Poklad to deliver an appropriate, tangible response and, where possible, one that mirrors this strike, to the Russians once everything is ready. Our military will support this response. Glory to Ukraine!”
Russian drone strikes Ukraine ‘MI5’ headquarters ahead of US peace talks
Putin welcomes talks with US envoys
Saturday 5 September 2026 19:37 , Holly BancroftRussian President Vladimir Putin told US special representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on Saturday that contacts between Moscow and Washington were always beneficial, and that Russia found it convenient to work with them, Reuters has reported.
Mr Witkoff said US President Donald Trump had sent his best wishes to Mr Putin and thanked him for a ceasefire during the US delegation's visit. Mr Putin said Russia would do its utmost to ensure the safety of the mediators.
The two US special representatives arrived in Moscow for talks on ending the war in Ukraine.
UN votes to adopt new world map that shows the true size of all countries
Saturday 5 September 2026 19:05 , Holly BancroftThe UN general assembly has voted to replace the traditional world map with one that more accurately reflects the size of all nations, writes Stuti Mishra.
The approved resolution calls for the world to move away from the traditional Mercator map, which shrinks the size of Africa and exaggerates northern landmasses.
The "Correct the Map" resolution, sponsored by Togo, passed with the support of 164 nations, including the UK. The US was the only nation to vote against it, with six other abstentions.
The resolution is non-binding, but asks governments, schools, international organisations, and technology companies to adopt the Equal Earth projection and other equal-area maps wherever the true scale of continents matters, with the aim of establishing more proportionally accurate maps as a new global norm. It does not seek to ban the Mercator projection outright.
The Mercator projection, which is currently used worldwide, increases distortion the further a region sits from the equator. Since Africa straddles the equator, it seems comparatively smaller than its actual size, while Europe, North America, Greenland, and Russia all appear substantially larger than they are.
UN votes to adopt new world map
What we know about US envoys' trip to Moscow
Saturday 5 September 2026 18:00 , Holly BancroftSteve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, US president Donald Trump’s two envoys, have arrived in Moscow ahead of talks aimed at ending the Ukraine war.
Mr Trump has said that Mr Witkoff and Mr Kushner would be “bringing with them a proposal to end the war”. They are expected to meet both Russian president Vladimir Putin and then travel to meet Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.
The envoys were met at the airport by Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev, Russia’s state news agency Tass said.
Mr Dmitriev shared photos of him meeting the US delegation as they disembarked, alongside the caption, “Welcome to Moscow Peacemakers.”
The last known visit to Moscow by Mr Witkoff and Mr Kushner, US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, was in January, when they met Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin. They have never visited Kyiv, but Mr Zelenskyy said he was expecting them in the Ukrainian capital on Sunday.
Mr Witkoff and Mr Kushner’s visit to Moscow comes just over a week after a visit by the head of the CIA, John Ratcliffe, to the capital.
In full: Update from Ukraine president about envoy talks
Saturday 5 September 2026 17:01 , Holly BancroftI have just spoken with the U.S. President’s envoys. They have already begun working with the Russian side today. From the moment of this conversation, we are ready to observe a ceasefire in airstrikes against the cities involved in the negotiation process. From now through the…
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 5, 2026
Zelensky says there will be no strikes on Moscow while US envoys meet with Putin
Saturday 5 September 2026 15:59 , Holly BancroftUkraine president Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Ukraine will refrain from airstrikes on Moscow while US envoys are in the city for talks with Putin.
Posting on X on Saturday afternoon, Mr Zelensky said:”We are waiting for Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner and are ready for a substantive conversation”.
He added: “I have just spoken with the US President’s envoys. They have already begun working with the Russian side today. From the moment of this conversation, we are ready to observe a ceasefire in airstrikes against the cities involved in the negotiation process. From now through the end of Saturday, as well as on Sunday and Monday, Ukraine is ready to refrain from strikes on Moscow, and we expect the Russians to do the same regarding Kyiv.”
Zelensky says Russia targeted Kyiv airports in response to US peace push
Saturday 5 September 2026 15:00 , Shahana YasminVolodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of deliberately targeting airports in Kyiv and Boryspil overnight in response to preparations for US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to visit Ukraine.
Zelensky said the strikes were “a reaction to the discussions and preparations for the possibility of the US side using an aircraft to travel to Ukraine”, adding that Kyiv had recorded the move and would adjust its operations against Russian airspace next week.
“Of course, there are and will be no threats to diplomacy from our side,” he said.
The strikes came as Russia launched 167 attack drones and ballistic missiles overnight, according to Ukraine’s air force. Five people were killed and five wounded in a strike on an industrial facility in Kamianske, while Russian drones also hit shopping centres and residential areas across several regions.
Russian general accused of masterminding attack on children’s hospital ‘shot in head’
Saturday 5 September 2026 14:15 , Shahana YasminA Russian general who was linked with an attack on a children’s hospital in Ukraine is seriously injured after being shot in the head, according to reports.
Major General Nikolai Varpakhovich is said to have been shot on Thursday morning in the village of Probuzhdenie near Engels, in Russia’s Saratov region.
Independent Russian outlet SotaVision said the attack was the third assassination attempt on Russian officers in the past two weeks.
Russian general accused of masterminding attack on school ‘shot in head’
Putin orders pause in Kyiv strikes, Moscow claims
Saturday 5 September 2026 13:41 , Shahana YasminRussian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a 72-hour pause in strikes on Kyiv, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Russia’s Tass news agency Saturday.
“Putin has ordered that no strikes be carried out against Kyiv for three days, starting at midnight today,” Peskov said. He said the decision was tied to preparations for U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to visit Kyiv for peace talks.
Mr Peskov also said that the Russian leader would meet with Mr Kushner and Mr Witkoff today as well.
Russia strikes Ukraine’s security service headquarters in central Kyiv
Saturday 5 September 2026 13:30 , Shahana YasminA Russian drone struck the headquarters of Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) in central Kyiv on Friday, targeting the office of acting SBU chief Oleksandr Poklad, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The attack injured at least 15 people, Ukrainian authorities later said.
Zelensky said he had ordered Poklad to prepare an “appropriate, tangible response” and, if possible, one that “mirrors this strike”. “The geography of our response has been determined. The timing will be chosen to ensure results,” he said.
The SBU separately warned: “The Russians will receive a painful response to their strikes – more special operations, exposed agent networks and destroyed enemies.”
Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha called the attack “a major escalation”, saying Moscow had launched it during a renewed push for peace.
Russia ignores ceasefire proposal as Trump envoys begin peace mission
Saturday 5 September 2026 12:45 , Shahana YasminUkraine says Russia has failed to respond to a proposed temporary ceasefire, as US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Moscow on Saturday for talks with Vladimir Putin.
Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine’s Presidential Office, told public broadcaster Suspilne that the proposal had been communicated directly to Putin, but Russia had not agreed to it, according to the Kyiv Post.
Russian attacks have continued, including strikes that killed five people at an industrial facility in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
Budanov said he expected Russia would probably avoid striking Kyiv while Witkoff and Kushner are due to visit the capital on Sunday.
The pair arrived in Moscow on Saturday and were met at the airport by Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev, according to TASS.
Witkoff and Kushner land in Moscow for fresh Ukraine peace push
Saturday 5 September 2026 12:00 , Shahana YasminUS special representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have arrived in Moscow for talks on ending Russia’s war in Ukraine, according to two people familiar with the visit.
The pair were met at Moscow’s government airport by Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev, with a motorcade carrying all three later leaving the airport for the city, Reuters reported.
Dmitriev has taken part in Witkoff and Kushner’s previous meetings with Vladimir Putin and remained in contact with US negotiators during a pause in their Moscow visits. He also helped negotiate US sanctions waivers for Russian oil this year.
Witkoff and Kushner are expected to meet Putin before travelling to Kyiv on Sunday to meet Volodymyr Zelensky. Trump said on Friday that the envoys were carrying a new proposal to end the war, saying: “We have an idea for peace.”
Russia kills five in Ukraine as US envoys arrive in Moscow
Saturday 5 September 2026 11:15 , Shahana YasminUS envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Moscow on Saturday for talks aimed at reviving stalled efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, as fresh Russian strikes killed five people and wounded five more.
The envoys were met at the airport by Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev, Russia’s TASS news agency reported. They are expected to meet Vladimir Putin before travelling to Kyiv on Sunday for talks with Volodymyr Zelensky.
Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 167 attack drones and ballistic missiles overnight, including around 80 jet-powered Shahed-type drones.
In the Dnipropetrovsk region, five workers were killed at an industrial facility. Regional official Oleksandr Hanzha described them as “people of peaceful professions” who were “simply working their shift”.
Russian strikes also damaged a residential building in Boryspil and hit a shopping centre in Mykolaiv region, where two people were wounded.
Putin official issues warning to Trump
Saturday 5 September 2026 10:46 , Chris StevensonVladimir Putin’s deputy foreign minister has issued a warning to Donald Trump as envoys for the US president are believed to be heading to Moscow for talks to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
"The key question is the extent to which the US administration is prepared to invest in finding a real solution to the current crisis, considering the realities on the ground,” Sergei Ryabkov said.
This, Mr Ryabkov sought to claim, was a situation which was not developing in Kyiv's favour, Russian state news agency TASS reported.
The trip comes as Russia continues its attacks despite Zelensky’s offer of a temporary air truce.
Four killed, five injured in latest Russian attack on Ukraine
Saturday 5 September 2026 10:00 , Shahana YasminRussia launched fresh attacks across Ukraine on Saturday, killing at least four people and injuring five, as Kyiv called for a temporary air truce ahead of US peace talks.
In Kamianske, Dnipropetrovsk region, a Russian strike hit an industrial facility overnight, killing four people and injuring five, Ukrainska Pravda reported. Three of those wounded were hospitalised, with one in intensive care, according to regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha.
Russian drones also struck the Kyiv region, damaging a nine-storey residential building in Boryspil and starting fires on its roof and in an apartment. Two women were injured and taken to hospital, according to the Kyiv regional authorities.
The attacks came despite Volodymyr Zelensky’s proposal for a temporary halt to airstrikes while US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner travel to Moscow and Kyiv.
Plane believed to be carrying US envoys Witkoff and Kushner lands in Moscow
Saturday 5 September 2026 09:57 , Rituparna ChatterjeeA business jet believed to be carrying US president Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner arrived in Moscow on Saturday, Russia's Interfax news agency reported, citing aviation sources.
On Friday, Trump said the envoys were heading abroad to attempt to reach a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.
Ukraine warns Russia preparing plans for northern offensive
Saturday 5 September 2026 09:45 , Shahana YasminUkraine says Russia is preparing several possible scenarios for a new offensive in the north, including towards Kyiv and Chernihiv, according to presidential aide Pavlo Palisa.
Palisa told journalists last week that Russian military leadership had been tasked with preparing the plans and that Ukrainian intelligence had verified the information through several sources. “Several options were considered,” he said, according to the Kyiv Independent.
However, he added that Ukraine was not currently detecting new Russian offensive groupings in those directions. “Our top priority is to prevent the conditions from emerging that would allow Russia to launch any offensive operations at all,” Palisa said.
Ukraine has prepared its own response, Palisa said, including plans to “defend, protect, and counter” any Russian move.
Putin’s friends finally tell him the truth: Get out of Ukraine to save yourself
Saturday 5 September 2026 09:30 , Shahana YasminAuthoritarian populists like Vladimir Putin know that when fellow anti-democrats start calling them “my friend”, the writing may be on the wall.
No wonder the Russian president shifted in his seat and tapped his feet impatiently while his erstwhile buddy, the OG populist and Hindu nationalist, Narendra Modi, gave him a mini-lecture – in public – on how he’s got to end his war against Ukraine.
The Russian president didn’t like what Narendra Modi told him but India’s PM is trying to keep the global gang together, explains world affairs editor Sam Kiley
Putin’s friends finally tell him the truth: Get out of Ukraine to save yourself
Kyiv seeks EU help as Ukraine faces €23bn defence gap
Saturday 5 September 2026 09:15 , Shahana YasminUkraine is facing a €23bn (£19.7bn) funding gap for its defence needs this year, as Kyiv warns it may have to cut non-military spending unless allies provide more support.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has asked the EU to bring forward part of its €90bn (£77.2bn) Ukraine Support Loan, which is divided into €45bn for 2026 and €45bn for 2027. The shortfall is meant to cover weapons purchases, personnel, and social support, including around €6bn (£5.1bn) in advance payments for weapons due to be delivered early next year.
“Frontloading the EU loan is not a silver bullet,” Chentsov told Euronews, as Kyiv also seeks support from countries outside the EU.
