United States special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner travelled to Moscow and Kyiv over the weekend to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The high‑level discussions aimed to lay the groundwork for renewed negotiations and to end the conflict now in its fifth year.
Witkoff and Kushner arrived in Kyiv by train on Sunday after a three‑hour session with Putin at the Kremlin, which included a dinner. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov described the meeting as “substantive, constructive, extremely frank and trusting.” Putin praised the U.S. delegation, saying working with them was a “comfortable experience” and that they were “trusted” throughout the process.
Speaking to reporters in Kyiv, Witkoff called the engagement “substantive and important” and said the delegation was “very encouraged.” Kushner added that former President Trump was “very determined to see an end to this war.” The envoys highlighted the U.S. push to revive a trilateral framework involving the United States, Russia and Ukraine, with Zelenskyy supporting the idea and urging broader regional coordination.
During the talks, Ukraine and Russia agreed to a 72‑hour temporary halt on aerial strikes targeting their capitals, though fighting continued elsewhere, causing civilian casualties and infrastructure damage. Zelenskyy stressed the need for American‑made interceptor missiles to protect energy infrastructure and expressed confidence that the U.S. would increase Patriot missile production next year.
Both sides acknowledged that the war is likely to continue into the winter months. The diplomatic mission, which also involved representatives from the United Kingdom, France and Germany, aims to maintain momentum and bridge fundamental gaps over territorial integrity and security architecture.
As the weekend truce holds, the outcome of these talks will hinge on whether Moscow and Kyiv can find common ground to advance peace negotiations.
