Trump envoys Witkoff and Kushner hold Kyiv talks with Zelensky after Moscow visit
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U.S. special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on September 6, their first visit to the Ukrainian capital since the war began. The meeting followed talks with Vladimir Putin in Moscow a day earlier, part of a shuttle mission to present new ideas for ending the war. No concrete agreements were announced by either side.
Key Facts
- Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on September 6, their first visit to the Ukrainian capital since the war began.
- The envoys met Vladimir Putin in Moscow on September 5 before traveling to Kyiv.
- Zelensky said the Americans brought 'several new ideas' for ending the war, but their content remains unknown.
- Witkoff said the sides are discussing a new trilateral meeting involving Russia, Ukraine, and the United States.
- Neither Moscow nor Kyiv announced a breakthrough, and key contradictions between the sides remain unchanged.
Kyiv Talks
President Zelensky met U.S. special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Kyiv on September 6. The meeting was the first visit by the two American negotiators to the Ukrainian capital since the war began. Zelensky said the Americans brought 'several new ideas' about ending the war, but their specific content remains unknown. Witkoff stated that the sides are discussing a new trilateral meeting with Russia, Ukraine, and the United States.
Moscow Precedent
Before Kyiv, Witkoff and Kushner met Vladimir Putin in Moscow on September 5. The Russian side described the meeting as substantive, constructive, and trustful, but reported no concrete agreements. Putin's adviser Yuri Ushakov reiterated the need to eliminate the 'root causes of the conflict' and said Russia intends to achieve its goals in Ukraine. Western media note that Moscow's demands include territorial issues and Ukraine's relations with NATO, while Kyiv insists on a ceasefire and security guarantees without territorial concessions.
Diplomatic Shuttle
The trip was a shuttle mission: the American representatives first discussed a possible path to ending the war with Russian leadership, then traveled to Kyiv to present the results. The BBC notes that Washington is trying to accelerate the diplomatic process despite the lack of obvious convergence between Moscow and Kyiv. The sequence of visits—first Moscow, then Kyiv—shows the U.S. administration's effort to act as a mediator and test what compromises each side is willing to make.
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