Witkoff and Kushner met with Putin, traveled by train to Kiev – What we know so far about the second step of American diplomacy | Today’s news
US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Kiev on Sunday (September 6th) for their first official visit to Ukraine, boosting Washington’s renewed efforts to broker an end to the Russia-Ukraine war.
The visit came a day after Witkoff and Kushner met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow to discuss possible paths to a settlement. Their trip to Kiev marks a significant advance in US diplomatic efforts, especially after months of stalled talks and escalating fighting.
Negotiations begin in Kyiv
Witkoff and Kushner arrived in the Ukrainian capital by train as Ukrainian airspace remains closed due to the war. Before meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky, they were welcomed by high-ranking Ukrainian officials at St. Sophia Square.
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US envoys Witkoff and Kushner met with Vladimir Putin to discuss possible ways to settle the Russia-Ukraine war, calling the discussions “substantial” and “extremely candid”.
The visit marks Witkoff’s and Kushner’s first official trip to Kyiv, signaling a renewed U.S. diplomatic effort to push through negotiations after months of stalled discussions on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Witkoff and Kushner secured agreements from both Russia and Ukraine to temporarily halt military strikes around Kiev and Moscow during their visit, which is aimed at fostering constructive dialogue.
Ukraine demands permanent security guarantees and a just and sustainable post-war peace, stressing that it is ready for a constructive dialogue with the US.
While the visit is a significant diplomatic effort, there is skepticism in Ukraine about meaningful progress given Russia’s continued military goals and previous failed negotiations.
“Talks have begun,” Zelenskyy said in a video posted on social media showing his meeting with US envoys.
Zelenskyy said that Ukraine is ready for a constructive dialogue with Washington and reiterated Kyiv’s demand for permanent security guarantees.
“We are interested in bringing an end to the war. We need peace. We need security guarantees. A just and sustainable post-war peace is needed. Our proposals are ready,” he said.
Senior Ukrainian security officials and negotiators were also present during the discussions, as well as several European national security advisers.
After meeting Putin in Moscow
The talks in Kyiv followed a meeting between Witkoff, Kushner and Putin in Moscow on Saturday.
A White House official said that the purpose of the meeting was to advance US President Donald Trump’s peace agenda. The parties discussed “substantial plans for the next steps”, with further details expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov described the meeting as “extraordinarily frank” and said US envoys had put forward several ideas for possible settlement paths.
However, Moscow has maintained its military goals in Ukraine as well. Ushakov said Russia remains confident it can achieve its goal of capturing the remaining parts of eastern Ukraine.
Russia currently occupies large areas of eastern and southern Ukraine, while Putin has repeatedly insisted that Moscow intends to secure the rest of Donbas.
Witkoff-Kushner’s first visit to Kyiv
The visit is particularly notable because Witkoff and Kushner have traveled to Moscow eight times, but have never before acted in Kyiv.
The latest American diplomatic push comes as Washington’s efforts to end the war have lost steam. For most of the past six months, the Trump administration has been focused on the war with Iran, diverting attention from the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Trump said Friday that his envoys were carrying a “proposal” to end the fighting, but gave no details.
Meanwhile, Putin thanked Trump for continuing his efforts to end the conflict despite the difficulties involved.
“Regardless of what happens next, contacts of this kind are undoubtedly always beneficial,” Putin said of the US envoys’ visit to Kyiv.
A limited truce around the main cities
Russia and Ukraine have agreed not to strike each other’s capitals for three days during a diplomatic mission by US envoys. Despite the limited understanding, fighting continued elsewhere.
Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched an overnight attack involving 108 drones and missiles, while Moscow said it shot down 258 Ukrainian drones.
Putin claimed on Saturday that Ukraine had significantly scaled back its attacks on Russia and Moscow.
But Kiev said Russian strikes killed 10 people across Ukraine on Saturday. Among those killed were a child and family members in the Kharkiv region, while two people were killed outside Kyiv.
The war, which began with a large-scale Russian invasion in February 2022, has killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced millions. Previous rounds of negotiations have failed to produce a lasting settlement, while the two sides remain far apart on territory, security guarantees and the future status of the occupied territories.
The visit to Kyiv represents a renewed attempt by the Trump administration to bring Moscow and Kyiv back to negotiations.
Read also | Trump plans ‘much bigger’ Middle East reset after Iran war: What’s on the table?
