Diplomatic Envoys Witkoff and Kushner Touch Down in Kyiv Following Moscow Talks with Putin

US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Ukraine on Sunday for their first official visit, marking a renewed effort to advance peace negotiations with Russia.

Due to ongoing conflict, Ukraine’s airspace remains closed, prompting the delegation to travel by train from Poland to Kyiv. This journey followed over three hours of discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow the previous day.

Russian President Vladimir Putin had declared a three-day ceasefire to guarantee the safety of the American envoys during their transit.

Ukraine peace push? Trump envoys hold talks with Kremlin

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Zelenskyy: Ukraine’s Peace Proposals Are Ready

Prior to the envoys’ arrival, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on social media that Kyiv was prepared for a “constructive” dialogue with its American counterparts.

“We are committed to bringing the war closer to an end,” he wrote. “Peace is essential. Security guarantees are necessary. A just and sustainable postwar peace is required. Our proposals are finalized.”

Reuters reported, citing an informed source, that national security advisors from the United Kingdom, France, and Germany were also present in Kyiv to confer with the US envoys.

Momentum behind US President Donald Trump’s initiative to conclude the four-and-a-half-year conflict has stalled in recent months, following unsuccessful negotiations with Putin at the Kremlin in January.

Ukraine’s Budanov Expects War to Continue for Many Months

Despite hopes for a breakthrough with the Russian leader on Saturday, the meeting yielded no formal announcements.

Putin’s foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov, characterized the Moscow discussions as constructive, frank, and useful, though no specific outcomes were outlined.

Ushakov noted that the talks also addressed economic matters and potentially significant Russia-US projects.

During previous talks, negotiators have struggled to reconcile both sides on key issues, particularly regarding the future of the industrial Donbas region in eastern Ukraine.

For Ukraine, robust security guarantees from European allies and Washington are crucial to deterring further Russian aggression.

Kyrylo Budanov, Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, told the New York Times last weekend that he does not anticipate the fighting ending before spring 2027.

He also forecast additional Russian strategic air strikes against Ukraine during the upcoming winter.

The conflict has escalated in recent months, with Putin seeking the complete conquest of the Donbas region and Russian drones targeting the Ukrainian capital.

Meanwhile, Ukraine has directed its drone strikes at Russia’s energy sector. It has also targeted online retailers deep within Russian territory in an effort to bring the impact of the war directly to the Russian public.

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