US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Kyiv on Sunday for their first official visit to Ukraine, joining President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in renewed efforts to end the four-and-a-half-year conflict with Russia. The delegation traveled by train from Poland, as Ukraine’s airspace remains closed due to ongoing hostilities. Their arrival follows more than three hours of discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow the previous day.
Putin declared a three-day ceasefire to ensure the safety of the American envoys during their transit. Ahead of their meeting, Zelenskyy stated on social media that Kyiv is prepared for “constructive” negotiations with US counterparts. “We are interested in bringing the end of the war closer,” Zelenskyy wrote. “Peace is needed. Security guarantees are needed. A just and sustainable postwar peace is needed. Our proposals are prepared.”>
According to Reuters, national security advisors from the United Kingdom, France, and Germany were also present in Kyiv to participate in the discussions. The latest diplomatic push comes after momentum from President Donald Trump to resolve the war stalled following unsuccessful talks at the Kremlin in January.
Following the Moscow meeting, there were no immediate announcements regarding specific outcomes. Putin’s foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov, described the talks as “constructive, frank, and useful,” noting that discussions also covered economic issues and potential large-scale Russia-US projects. However, he did not disclose concrete results.
Tensions remain high as the war has escalated recently, with Putin seeking total control of the Donbas region and Russian drones striking the Ukrainian capital. In response, Ukraine has targeted Russia’s energy sector and major online retailers deep within Russian territory.
Kyrylo Budanov, chief of staff to Zelenskyy, told the New York Times last weekend that he does not expect the fighting to cease before spring 2027. He also predicted continued Russian strategic air strikes during the winter. For Ukraine, securing hard security guarantees from European allies and Washington remains essential to deterring further Russian aggression.
No word on outcomes is worrying. Constructive and frank sounds nice, but when will the shelling stop?
Security guarantees are everything for Ukraine right now. Let’s see if Europe is finally ready to commit seriously.
I’m surprised they even got to Kyiv by train. The airspace closure makes the logistics quite impressive, honestly.
Hope this actually leads somewhere. Three hours of talking shouldn’t mean much without concrete results yet.