Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Sunday, September 6, as Washington intensifies efforts to revive negotiations aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war.

First Visit to Kyiv

US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and diplomatic adviser, arrived in Kyiv by train for their first visit to the Ukrainian capital since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. They were welcomed by Zelensky outside the historic St Sophia’s Cathedral.

The visit came just one day after the two US negotiators held more than three hours of talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Those discussions were described by officials as substantive, but produced no immediate breakthrough.

Washington Seeks a Durable Peace

Witkoff said the discussions in Kyiv were “substantive” and that the US delegation was encouraged by the talks. Kushner said Trump wanted more than simply an end to the fighting, stressing the need for conditions that could produce a long-term and durable peace.

The American team is working on a proposed framework for ending the conflict, with security and economic guarantees among the issues under discussion.

Zelensky Pushes for Security Guarantees

Zelensky has stressed that any peace agreement must provide Ukraine with credible security guarantees and prevent Russia from launching another major attack.

The Kyiv talks also addressed Ukraine’s winter needs, including air-defence support and energy security. Further discussions involving Ukrainian, US and European officials are expected as Washington attempts to bring the sides closer to a negotiated settlement.

No Immediate Breakthrough

Despite renewed diplomatic activity, major obstacles remain. Fighting continues on the battlefield, while Russia and Ukraine remain divided over security arrangements, territorial issues and the terms of any lasting settlement.

Zelensky said after the talks that Ukraine expects the war to continue into the winter, but welcomed the renewed diplomatic engagement and said further negotiations could take place soon.

The Kyiv visit nevertheless represents a significant step in the Trump administration’s latest peace push, bringing US envoys directly into discussions with both Moscow and Kyiv in an effort to determine whether a durable agreement can finally be achieved.

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