Jared Kushner, special envoy and son-in-law to former President Donald Trump, became defensive Sunday when questioned about his track record in international negotiations, particularly concerning Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
During a press conference in Kyiv, NBC News chief foreign correspondent Richard Engel asked Kushner why he should inspire confidence in his ability to broker peace, pointing to previous diplomatic efforts. Engel noted that negotiations Kushner was involved in, such as those concerning the Gaza conflict and Iran, had not yielded lasting resolutions, and that the war in Ukraine had intensified despite Kushner's engagement.
"The tone of your question was a little bit like, 'Why haven't you done every single impossible thing possible?'" Kushner responded, defending his role. He asserted that he and his partner, Steve Witkoff, were representing former President Trump and executing his diplomatic vision, which he characterized as achieving "unthinkable things" during Trump's first term.
Kushner highlighted the 2020 Abraham Accords, which normalized relations between Israel and several Arab League nations, as a significant accomplishment. He also cited the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement on trade and the securing of the 2026 World Cup as successes achieved under Trump's leadership.
Kushner has faced scrutiny over potential conflicts of interest stemming from his roles as a Trump adviser involved in U.S. diplomatic efforts with the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, while simultaneously running a private equity firm that received substantial funding from those same governments. His past comments regarding Gaza, where he suggested the area could be valuable real estate if residents were relocated, have also drawn criticism.
Witkoff, a real estate investor appointed as a U.S. special envoy for the Middle East, has also faced accusations of personal financial gain through his family's cryptocurrency company while negotiating with major foreign investors on behalf of the United States.
Despite Kushner and Witkoff's stated aim to negotiate an end to the Russia-Ukraine war, which Trump has vowed to resolve on "day one" of a potential second term, Russia reportedly resumed airstrikes on Kyiv the following Tuesday, resulting in at least two fatalities.