Witkoff, Kushner arrive in Kyiv after Putin talks in Moscow

US President Donald Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner traveled to Kyiv on Sunday for their first official visit to Ukraine, part of renewed efforts to reach peace with Russia. With Ukrainian airspace closed because of the war, the two arrived by train from Poland.

The visit came a day after the envoys spent more than three hours in Moscow talking with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who had declared a three-day ceasefire to guarantee their safety during the trip.

Zelenskyy says proposals are ready

Ahead of the meeting, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted on social media that Kyiv was prepared for a "constructive" dialogue with the American delegation, stressing the need for a just, lasting postwar peace backed by security guarantees, and saying Ukraine's proposals were already drawn up.

Reuters reported, citing a source familiar with the matter, that national security advisers from the United Kingdom, France and Germany were also in Kyiv to meet with the US envoys.

Momentum had stalled

Trump's push to end the war has lost momentum in recent months following inconclusive talks with Putin at the Kremlin in January. No concrete outcomes were announced after Saturday's Moscow meeting either. Putin's foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov called the discussion constructive, frank and useful, noting that economic issues and potential large-scale Russia-US projects were also on the agenda.

Past rounds of negotiation have failed to bridge differences on major issues, including the future of the industrial Donbas region in eastern Ukraine.

Security guarantees, ongoing fighting

For Ukraine, firm security guarantees from European allies and Washington remain essential to deterring further Russian aggression. Zelenskyy's chief of staff, Kyrylo Budanov, has said he does not expect the fighting to end before spring 2027 and expects further Russian air strikes this winter.

The conflict has intensified in recent months, with Putin pursuing full control of Donbas and Russian drones striking Kyiv, while Ukraine has focused its own drone attacks on Russia's energy sector and online retailers inside Russia.