Kushner, Witkoff set for Kyiv talks after Putin meeting in US push for peace

U.S. Envoys Kushner and Witkoff Hold Talks in Kyiv After Moscow Meeting with Putin

U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Kyiv on Sunday for discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, one day after meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. The visits form part of U.S. efforts to reach a settlement in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Zelenskyy stated Sunday morning that he had consulted his negotiating team before the envoys’ arrival and that Ukraine was prepared to engage. In a post on X, he wrote that Ukraine has always been and will remain constructive, adding that the country seeks to advance an end to the war, requires security guarantees, and seeks a postwar arrangement that preserves its interests. He noted that Ukraine’s proposals are ready and emphasized the need for coordinated, substantive, and realistic work.

Witkoff and Kushner met with Putin for more than three hours in closed-door sessions on Saturday. No specific agreements were announced at the conclusion of the talks. Putin’s foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov described the meeting as constructive, frank, and useful but did not release details of any outcomes.

A White House official stated after the Moscow session that the two sides had reviewed substantive plans for next steps, with announcements expected in the coming weeks. The official indicated that the U.S. delegation anticipated similarly productive meetings in Ukraine.

The Kyiv discussions occur as Washington seeks to advance negotiations in a war that began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Earlier diplomatic activity had slowed in recent months while U.S. attention focused on developments involving Iran.

Significant differences persist between the two sides, particularly regarding territory. Ukraine has rejected Russian demands that it withdraw from areas in the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions that remain under Ukrainian control.

Ushakov reported that Moscow presented the U.S. delegation with its comprehensive assessment of the battlefield situation during Saturday’s meeting. The talks also covered topics beyond the conflict itself. Ushakov said economic issues and potentially large, mutually beneficial joint projects for Russia and the United States were examined in detail.

President Donald Trump said Friday that he had sent Witkoff and Kushner, his son-in-law and adviser, to assess whether progress toward an agreement could be achieved. Trump told reporters that the United States has an idea for peace and described the two envoys as effective negotiators who were dispatched to determine whether an outcome could be reached, adding that there may be a good chance of success.

The diplomatic activity takes place against a backdrop of continued exchanges of drone and missile strikes between Russia and Ukraine. Both sides reported attacks overnight into Sunday, even though the capitals had agreed to pause strikes on each other during the negotiation period.

Fox News Digital’s Robert McGreevy and The Associated Press contributed to this report.