ISTANBUL

Russia said on Friday said the latest round of talks between President Vladimir Putin and visiting US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff were “constructive and useful.”

“A three-hour conversation took place, which was constructive and very useful,” Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov told reporters in Moscow following the meeting.

Ushakov was part of the Russian delegation that attended the meeting, in which the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, Kirill Dmitriev, also participated.

He said that dialogue between Russia and the US at various levels will continue to be carried out in the “most active mode,” adding that talks on Ukraine focused particularly on resuming direct talks between Moscow and Kyiv.

“The conversation allowed us to further bring the positions of Russia and the United States closer together, not only on Ukraine, but also on a number of other international issues,” Ushakov added.