MOSCOW - US officials landed in Moscow for talks over the Ukraine crisis as Russian forces captured on Thursday a key town in the Kursk region that was previously held by Ukrainian troops.
The US team was headed by President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff, according to TASS news agency.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier on Thursday that contacts had been planned with US negotiators.
Peskov said that Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov and Trump's National Security Advisor Mike Waltz talked over the phone on Wednesday, adding that "certain information" was provided to Russia during the conversation.
He noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin may have an international phone call on Thursday evening, and did not rule out the possibility of other contacts.
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Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Thursday that Moscow is closely watching the recent US-Ukraine meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and has reviewed their joint statement. She added that Russia is ready to discuss the proposals with the United States, possibly as soon as Thursday.
Ukraine on Tuesday signaled its readiness to accept a US proposal for an "immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire" following talks with a US delegation in Jeddah, according to their joint statement.
The statement also said the truce could be extended by mutual agreement, adding that "the United States will communicate to Russia that Russian reciprocity is the key to achieving peace."
Meanwhile, Russian forces have recaptured Sudzha, a key town in the Kursk region that was previously held by Ukraine, the Russian Defense Ministry said Thursday.
"Units of the North group of forces liberated the settlements of Melovoi, Podol and Sudzha during their offensive operations," the ministry said in a statement.
Sudzha, which had been under Ukrainian control since their surprise cross-border attack in August 2024, is a crucial location for securing supplies for Ukraine's operation in the Kursk region.
READ MORE: Russia announces recapture of 5 settlements in Kursk region
The Russian military operation to retake the Kursk region has entered its final stage, Peskov said Thursday.
On Wednesday, Putin visited military command posts in Kursk, emphasizing the urgency of swiftly concluding the operation and establishing a security zone in the region.
According to Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, Russian troops have reclaimed over 1,100 square km of territory in the Kursk region, representing more than 86 percent of the area previously held by Ukraine.
