Moscow Talks, Ukraine’s $1.2 Billion Procurement Problem

International Flavor: Where the Truth Tastes Better · Sep 8, 2026 · 1h 24m

Witkoff and Kushner meet Vladimir Putin for more than three hours before traveling directly to Kiev, creating another round of speculation about whether Washington can actually move the Ukraine conflict toward settlement. Samuel examines what Moscow said publicly, several competing Russian interpretations of the mission, and why a temporary ceasefire remains unattractive to Russia. Then, a detailed investigation into Ukraine’s defense procurement system reveals $1.2 billion in reported fraud, waste and mismanagement, repeated contractor failures, defective ammunition and troubling procurement…