Kushner and Witkoff meet Zelenskyy in first Kyiv visit

U.S. peace envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff arrived in Kyiv by train on Sunday, meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the first time in their capacity as negotiators, as the Trump administration renewed efforts to broker an end to Russia's war in Ukraine. The visit came a day after the pair held more than three hours of talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow that yielded no apparent breakthrough.cnbc+1

The envoys' long-delayed trip to the Ukrainian capital — their first since being appointed as peace negotiators — carried symbolic weight for Kyiv's leadership, which had repeatedly pressed for the visit. Russian strikes on airports near Kyiv forced the delegation to fly to Rzeszów, Poland, and complete the journey by rail, according to the Kyiv Independent.kyivindependent

Talks Cover Winter Needs and Security Guarantees

Zelenskyy welcomed the envoys at Kyiv's Sofiiska Square before accompanying them to St. Sophia Cathedral. Bilateral U.S.-Ukraine discussions lasted roughly three hours and addressed Ukraine's winter energy needs, people familiar with the matter told the Kyiv Independent, as the country braces for renewed Russian strikes on its power grid after Moscow's aerial campaign last winter destroyed 9 gigawatts of generation capacity.kyivindependent

A second round of talks followed, bringing in national security advisers from Britain, France, and Germany, who were also in Kyiv on Sunday, according to Reuters.internazionale+1

Before the envoys arrived, Zelenskyy posted on social media that his negotiating team had prepared proposals. "Security guarantees are needed. A dignified post-war peace is needed. Our proposals have been drawn up," he said.cnbc+1

No Breakthrough, but 'Encouraged'

In brief remarks to journalists, Witkoff called the talks "substantive" and "meaningful," saying the envoys were "encouraged" by progress. Kushner relayed "personal regards" from Trump and stressed the importance of building "long-term, durable peace." A White House official told Reuters that next steps would be announced in the coming weeks.themoscowtimes+2

The Kremlin offered a more cautious assessment. Aide Yuri Ushakov described Saturday's Moscow meeting as "highly useful" but said Putin had told the envoys Russia was making "real progress" on the battlefield and was confident of achieving its goals. The two sides remain far apart on core issues, including the future of the Donbas region and Ukraine's NATO aspirations. Moscow has insisted Kyiv cede the entire territory of four regions it claims and abandon its alliance ambitions — a position the Kremlin called "unshakeable."themoscowtimes

Strikes Paused on Capitals, but Fighting Continues

Both sides agreed to pause strikes on each other's capitals during the diplomatic window, though the Kremlin rejected Ukraine's call for a broader ceasefire. Fighting continued along the 1,200-kilometer front line, and Russia bombarded other Ukrainian cities on Saturday. Ukraine said Sunday it struck the Ryazan oil refinery some 480 kilometers inside Russia overnight.yahoo+2

"We are all on the same side," Zelenskyy said after the talks concluded. "We all want the war to end."kyivindependent