US Sanctions Chief Joins Moscow Talks as Putin Cites War Goals

Gene Lange, theacting head of the sanctions division at the US Department of the Treasury, joined special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on their diplomatic mission to Moscow on Saturday, Sept. 5, Axios reported. Lange participated in a preparatory session with Kirill Dmitriev, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special representative for economic cooperation.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. While Lange did not attend the subsequent direct talks with Putin, a White House official confirmed that the wider US delegation included officials from the National Security Council (NSC), the State Department, and the Treasury. “The parties discussed substantive plans for the next steps that will be announced in the coming weeks, and look forward to having equally productive meetings tomorrow in Ukraine,” Axios quoted the US official as saying. According to Reuters, during the meeting at the Kremlin, Putin provided “clear and comprehensive assessments” of frontline dynamics, according to presidential aide Yuri Ushakov. Ushakov stated that Putin highlighted Russian military advances, reiterated his confidence in achieving the Kremlin’s stated objectives in Ukraine, and insisted on addressing the “root causes” of the conflict. Ushakov added that the American delegation formulated multiple proposals regarding potential paths to a settlement. The presence of the Treasury’s top sanctions official follows remarks by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on the sidelines of the G20 summit, where he stated that Washington does not intend to grant economic concessions to Russia until it ceases its war against Ukraine. Other Topics of Interest US Envoys Hold 3-Hour Kremlin Talks With Putin US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow for three hours to present ideas on ending the war. Three-hour Kremlin talks The discussions at the Kremlin lasted three hours and 10 minutes, encompassing formal talks followed by an informal working dinner, according to Russian officials. Beyond the war in Ukraine, the parties discussed broader bilateral commercial ties, including potential large-scale, mutually beneficial US-Russian economic projects. Ushakov noted that Putin and US President Donald Trump plan to maintain direct personal contact and that negotiation channels involving Witkoff and Kushner will remain active. At the onset of the talks, Putin confirmed that Russian forces had paused strikes on Kyiv starting at midnight on Sept. 5, following requests transmitted through diplomatic and intelligence channels. However, Putin rejected Ukraine’s proposal for a wider three-day ceasefire across the entire frontline, stating Moscow had never agreed to such terms. Following the Moscow talks, Witkoff and Kushner are scheduled to travel to Kyiv on Sunday, Sept. 6, for meetings with President Volodymyr Zelensky. Prior to the envoys’ arrival in Russia, Zelensky confirmed he had spoken with the delegation, pledging that Ukrainian forces would refrain from aerial strikes against Moscow through the end of Monday to safeguard the diplomatic process. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.