Jared Kushner told Putin to his face: Drop these empty threats

US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Jared Kushner has challenged Russian President Vladimir Putin’s claim that Russia could seize all of Donbas within months. The debate took place during the meeting Kushner and fellow US envoy Steve Witkoff had with Putin at the Kremlin on September 5, according to “The New York Times.”

During the meeting, Putin said he was confident Russian forces would manage to take control of all of Donbas within a few months. The Russian president also said Moscow was ready to strike Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, which could worsen the situation in the country during the winter.

Kushner questioned the Russian president’s assessment, reminding him that a similar claim had been made a year earlier.

“With all respect, you told us the same thing a year ago. What are the chances that we come back here in a year and you tell us the same thing again? Maybe we shouldn’t waste a year?” Kushner responded.

Putin has repeatedly demanded that Ukraine withdraw from the Donbas territories not yet seized by Russian forces. Control over these territories remains one of the main issues preventing a deal.

After the meeting in Moscow, Kushner and Witkoff travelled to Kyiv as part of US diplomatic efforts to push negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.

On September 8, Trump held a call with Putin, and a day later described the communication as “excellent” and said the Russian president was ready to reach a peace deal.

Kushner later spoke about the territorial issue during a conference in Kyiv, where he said Putin had presented the territorial line Moscow wants to reach. According to him, Ukraine is currently not ready to withdraw to that line.

“If Ukraine were willing to withdraw to that point, then, obviously, we would have the other part of the deal agreed and prepared. Ukraine does not currently want this,” Kushner said.

He added that the United States is seeking a “creative solution” to the territorial dispute, with the aim of paving the way for progress in negotiations.