Kushner says territory remains main obstacle in Ukraine talks

September 13, 2026 at 11:05 AM2 min

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Jared Kushner said the main unresolved issue in US-mediated Ukraine talks is territory, with Russia and Ukraine still far apart. He made the remarks after meeting Vladimir Putin in Moscow on September 5 and Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv the next day. Kushner said Russia has set out the borders it wants, but Ukraine is not ready to accept them.

Key Facts

Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff met Vladimir Putin in Moscow on September 5 and Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on September 6.
Kushner said Russia has defined the borders it wants to achieve, and if Ukraine agreed, the rest of the deal would be settled.
Zelensky said the next trilateral talks between Russia, the US and Ukraine could take place in the UAE, Turkey or Switzerland.
The Kremlin described the September 5 Moscow meeting as 'substantive, extremely frank and trusting'.

Kushner's Comments

Jared Kushner said the most difficult issue in the consultations remains territory, calling it the main question because the sides' positions still diverge. According to Kushner, Russia has outlined the borders it wants to reach, and if Ukraine agreed to that option, 'the rest of the deal would be agreed'. He said Ukraine does not want to do this at the moment, and the US task as mediator is to find a solution that does not contradict Ukraine's wishes and helps it achieve its goal.

Negotiation Timeline

On September 5, American negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. The next day they discussed the conflict settlement with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky. Witkoff said substantial progress was achieved during the visits. The White House administration called the Moscow talks 'substantive', while the Kremlin described them as 'substantive, extremely frank and trusting'.

Next Steps

Zelensky said the next trilateral talks between Russia, the US and Ukraine could take place in the UAE, Turkey or Switzerland. He suggested the meeting's topic could be halting strikes on energy facilities. The Kremlin also expects the negotiation process to resume, but has not yet spoken about the details of a trilateral meeting.