Witkoff and Kushner visit Kyiv in bid to revive stalled peace talks
Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner made their first-ever trip to Kyiv on September 6, meeting Zelensky and the negotiating team, though no concrete breakthrough emerged. Analysts say Russia's position is unlikely to shift significantly.
US President Donald Trump's special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Kyiv for the first time on September 6, meeting President Volodymyr Zelensky and Ukraine's negotiating team to discuss possible conditions for ending the war. Talks unfolded over three rounds, after which Zelensky held a separate one-on-one conversation with the envoys. Representatives from the United Kingdom, France and Germany joined the third round, which Kyiv views as an important signal that Washington now recognizes European leaders as full participants in the negotiation process rather than mere observers.
After the talks, Zelensky said the American side had proposed several new ideas for the peace process but did not disclose their content. Kushner said the parties should return to a trilateral negotiating format, and Ukraine confirmed its readiness — the next move, he said, is up to Russia.
Before visiting Kyiv, Witkoff and Kushner had already traveled to Moscow — the sixth such trip for Witkoff and the second for Kushner. The White House described the talks with Russian officials as "substantive" but offered no specifics. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said afterward that he did not rule out restoring a trilateral negotiating format involving Ukraine, Russia and the US.
Analysts remain skeptical about an imminent breakthrough. Vladyslav Faraponov, head of the Institute of Americanistics think tank, said the Moscow visit likely had little effect on Vladimir Putin's stance and resembled a conversation between old acquaintances more than a diplomatic push. He argued that meaningful change would require involvement from higher-level US officials, such as Secretary of State Marco Rubio or Trump himself.
Western outlets including The New York Times, Reuters, Financial Times and The Guardian noted that Russia refrained from striking Kyiv during the visit but reported no concrete agreements. Several outlets highlighted Ukraine's critical shortage of Patriot interceptor missiles ahead of a difficult winter. Chinese media covered the visit more cautiously, focusing on Ukraine's need for air defense and energy support rather than diplomatic developments.
After the meeting, Zelensky said the sides also discussed a winter support package, air defense and energy assistance, expressing hope the envoys' visit would not prove fruitless.
