Witkoff reports substantial progress after Moscow and Kyiv talks

September 7, 2026 at 08:14 PM2 min

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US special envoy Steve Witkoff reported substantial progress in Russia-Ukraine settlement talks after meetings in Moscow and Kyiv on September 5-6. He said additional trilateral negotiations are being planned. President Trump is working to end the killing and achieve lasting peace.

Key Facts

Witkoff announced substantial progress, including planning for additional trilateral talks, in a post on X on September 7.
On September 5, Witkoff and Jared Kushner met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow for over three hours.
On September 6, the US delegation met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv, joined by national security advisers from Britain, France, and Germany.
The parties agreed on a three-day ceasefire before the trip to enable the negotiations.
During the Kyiv meeting, US negotiators stated their intention to achieve a breakthrough in settlement talks before winter.

Moscow Meeting

On September 5, US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, son-in-law of President Trump, met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin. Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said the talks lasted more than three hours and were substantive and constructive. The Russian side described the conversation as 'extremely frank and trusting', while American negotiators noted receiving 'new ideas' from the Russian side.

Kyiv Meeting

On September 6, the US delegation arrived in Kyiv to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. In Kyiv, national security advisers from Britain, France, and Germany joined the delegations to discuss further steps. US negotiators stated their intention to achieve a breakthrough in settlement talks before the onset of winter. Both sides positively assessed the outcome of the contacts.

Progress and Next Steps

Witkoff reported substantial progress, including movement on planning additional trilateral negotiations. He said President Trump is working hard to stop the killing and establish a long and durable peace. The parties had agreed on a three-day ceasefire before the trip to enable the negotiations. German newspaper Berliner Zeitung noted that the visit took place amid deteriorating sentiment in Kyiv and growing problems facing Zelensky.