Daijiworld Media Network - Washington
Washington, Sep 6: US President Donald Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Kyiv on Sunday for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, a day after holding a three-hour meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow that produced no announced breakthrough.
The visit marks the first official trip to Ukraine by Witkoff and Kushner in their roles as Trump’s peace negotiators, as Washington seeks to revive diplomatic efforts to end Russia’s more than four-year-old war against Ukraine.
Senior Ukrainian officials received the two envoys in Kyiv. National security representatives from France, Germany and Britain were also expected to join the discussions, highlighting Europe’s push to have a role in negotiations over any potential settlement.
Witkoff and Kushner travelled to Kyiv after meeting Putin at the Kremlin on Saturday. The Kremlin confirmed the meeting but provided few details about the discussions or their outcome.
A White House official said the talks covered the war and possible next steps. No agreement or timetable for further negotiations was announced immediately after the Moscow meeting.
Zelensky had confirmed the envoys’ itinerary ahead of their arrival.
“Today, it has been clearly established that US envoys will be in Ukraine and Russia in the coming days,” Zelensky said in an address released by his office. “We have the details from the US President’s team.”
“We discussed today that Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will visit Moscow and then Kyiv on Sunday,” he said.
Zelensky also spoke with Witkoff and Kushner by telephone on Saturday as they began discussions with the Russian side. His office said Ukraine was prepared to observe a temporary suspension of airstrikes against cities involved in the negotiating process.
Trump has repeatedly urged Moscow and Kyiv to reach an agreement, but the two sides remain divided over territory, security guarantees and the conditions required to end hostilities.
Russia is demanding Ukrainian concessions over territory in eastern Ukraine, while Kyiv has rejected any settlement imposed without its approval. Ukraine has maintained that it needs credible security guarantees to prevent another Russian attack.
The Kyiv discussions are expected to focus on the outcome of the envoys’ meeting with Putin, Ukraine’s conditions for negotiations and possible steps towards a broader ceasefire.
The latest diplomatic initiative follows months of intermittent US-led efforts that have failed to produce a comprehensive agreement. Trump had pledged to end the war quickly, but negotiations have repeatedly stalled over the conflicting demands of Russia and Ukraine.