Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy (left) welcomes U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff (R) and Jared Kushner (center) before meeting in Kiev on September 6, 2026, amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. (Photo by Genya Savilov/AFP via Getty Images)
Genya Savilov | AFP | Getty Images
U.S. peace envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Kiev on Sunday, as the Trump administration renews efforts to end Russia’s four-and-a-half-year war in Ukraine.
Mr. Kushner and Mr. Witkov traveled from Moscow and met with Russian President Vladimir Putin for three hours on Saturday, but they appeared unable to secure a breakthrough in the dispute.
Previous U.S.-mediated peace talks encouraged by President Donald Trump, who campaigned on a promise to end the war quickly, have yielded little results. He hinted on Friday that the U.S. has a new offer, although he did not provide details.
Putin said Saturday’s meeting was “very useful,” but a White House official told Reuters next steps would be announced in the coming weeks.
The two envoys met with Zelensky and other senior Ukrainian officials in central Kiev.
President Zelenskiy believes the United States holds the key to any peace agreement and said there is a chance for peace to be reached before the United States begins focusing on the next presidential election next summer.
In a social media post before the envoy’s arrival, President Zelensky said he had held a preparatory meeting with the negotiating team and said Ukraine wanted an end to the war.
“We need security guarantees. We need a dignified post-war peace. Our proposals have already been put together,” he said.
Sources told Reuters that national security advisers from Britain, France and Germany were also visiting Kyiv on Sunday. Officials did not say which meetings they would participate in.
Cautious optimism on the streets of Kyiv
Mr. Witkoff, President Trump’s son-in-law, and Mr. Kushner have visited Moscow several times as peace envoys. But Sunday will be his first visit to Kiev in his capacity as a U.S. negotiator.
Their visit has long been sought by Ukraine’s leadership and was anticipated by some residents on the streets of Kiev, which has been under heavy airstrikes in recent weeks.
“This problem can be solved in the blink of an eye. We want peace. I have fought, so I know what war is like. We need peace, because there is no other way,” said veteran Stepan Yermak.
In previous talks, the two sides remained sharply divided on a number of important issues, including the future of the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine. Russia demands that Ukraine withdraw from the entrenched areas it still controls, but Kiev refuses, saying it could remain there for years.
For Ukraine, strong security from European allies and the United States is critical to deterring another Russian invasion.
“We need an agreement that can never be broken,” said cafe worker Svitlana Kurylenko, 19.
“Please leave Ukraine alone and let the people live in peace.”
Suspension of strike
Although the front lines of the ground war remain largely static, Russian and Ukrainian militaries have stepped up long-range airstrikes in recent weeks.
Russia has been attacking the Ukrainian capital with missiles and drones day and night over the past two weeks, including Friday’s attack on the headquarters of the SBU Security Service.
The Kremlin announced it would suspend attacks on Kiev until Monday, and President Zelensky said Ukraine would also halt attacks on Moscow.
But fighting continued along the 1,200-kilometre (750-mile) front, with Russia shelling other Ukrainian cities on Saturday.
Ukraine has been damaging Russian refineries, oil terminals and warehouses of online retailer Wildberry all summer in an effort to raise money to continue the war against Moscow.
Ukraine said on Sunday that a fire had struck its Ryazan oil refinery, about 480 kilometers (300 miles) inside Russia, overnight.
