Special presidential envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Kyiv on Sunday for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, continuing a diplomatic push by the White House to find a path toward ending Russia's full-scale invasion.
The visit to the Ukrainian capital followed meetings in Moscow on Saturday with Russian President Vladimir Putin, where Witkoff and Kushner reportedly discussed "substantive plans for next steps" toward a peace agreement, according to a White House official.
This marks the first visit by the U.S. delegation to Ukraine during the ongoing invasion, though the pair have met with Russian officials multiple times. They traveled to Kyiv by train from Poland and were welcomed by Zelenskyy outside Saint Sophia Cathedral.
Zelenskyy expressed Ukraine's interest in ending the war, stating, "Peace is needed. Security guarantees are needed. A dignified character of the postwar peace is needed. Our proposals are ready." He anticipated a "substantive conversation" with the U.S. envoys.
The meetings in Moscow lasted over three hours. While U.S. and Russian officials described the discussions as productive, Putin showed no immediate signs of compromise. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov stated that Putin emphasized the need to address "all root causes of the Ukrainian conflict," a stance often interpreted as a demand for Ukraine to accept neutrality and abandon NATO aspirations. Ushakov also reported Putin expressing confidence in achieving Russia's war goals.
Experts suggest Putin's position has hardened, with a belief that Russia is gaining ground and a willingness to continue military pressure to extract concessions from Kyiv, potentially by targeting its energy infrastructure. Recent weeks have seen intensified Russian air attacks on Ukraine, including the use of drones against the capital.
During the Kremlin meeting, Witkoff conveyed President Donald Trump's best wishes and thanked Putin for facilitating the return of Rob Gilman. Witkoff also acknowledged a temporary "no-shoot" arrangement around Kyiv and Moscow that allowed for the delegation's safe travel.
Officials from the National Security Council, State Department, and Treasury Department accompanied Kushner and Witkoff in Moscow for discussions on peace proposals. Both Russian and Ukrainian forces continued long-range strikes overnight, with Ukraine reporting numerous drones and cruise missiles launched by Russia, and Russia stating it downed a significant number of Ukrainian drones.
Some Ukrainian officials expressed skepticism about the prospects for peace. Oleksandr Merezhko, a member of the Ukrainian parliament, stated he had "no hopes at all," believing Putin sees no alternative to capitulation from Ukraine given his actions. Merezhko also described Witkoff and Kushner as "amateurs without necessary knowledge and experience."